Visions
by Unique Fantasy
Summary: Overwatch AU: The kingdom of Gibraltar is split into two; Overwatch, the half of light beings, and Talon, those who dwell among the dark. But a vision of destruction brings them together to save their future. Can those of the light and those of the dark truly become allies? An arranged marriage between the two sides might be the key to saving everyone. I own nothing!
1. Chapter 1

Simone woke up early, the morning light shining through her sheer curtains making her sleepy eyes water. Her morning routine was just like every other morning, braiding her long hair over her shoulder, grooming her wings, then getting dressed for the day. She stood on her balcony and took a deep breath, the cool, early spring air burning down to her lungs, before leaving her rooms to head to the morning council meeting. She wished she felt as important as her title claimed her to be; Advisor to the Council of the Light. It was an important job, the Light consisted of the lands of Overwatch and was north of the Black Forest, which effectively split the continent of Gibraltar in half. Anything south of the Black Forest was considered Dark lands, Talon. The Council of the Light was a group of leaders that made sure all of the species coexisted peacefully, which they had done for the last 150 years. Simone knew that she was only the advisor given her habit of having visions of the future. It certainly came in handy for the Council, being able to decipher her visions and react accordingly. This morning she would be telling the Council of her latest vision, one that had her on edge. She could remember it easily; her visions were usually not so vague or dark.

 _She was walking alone, the ground coming to a point over crashing waves; a cliff overlooking the coast. To her left was a pair of blue eyes and to her right a pair of red eyes. The blue eyes gave her a sense of familiarity, but the red eyes compelled her towards them. The ground began to shake and the sky started to grow dark. Fear greater than she had ever felt before nearly crippled her. She reached towards the familiar blue eyes, but the ground below her feet began to crumble. Turning back to the red eyes, a hand reached out to her. It was covered in a black glove, its fingers tipped with sharp silver talons. She reached out. Her hand fit perfectly in its clawed grip, and everything stopped. The shaking ground and darkening sky, the fear she had felt were all gone. Black smoke started to creep and swirl around her, starting at her feet. Her chest felt warm, her heart feeling too large as the smoke swallowed her completely._

She had come to, her hand fisted in her dress right over her heart. Visions usually came with emotions but had never been so strong before. The fear she understood, but the other emotion which made her chest feel tight and warm was a mystery to her. She sighed heavily and continued down the hall as if she wasn't bothered by emotions she couldn't place.

She rounded the corner, meeting Ana and they continued down the sunlit hallway together.

"Good morning Simone." Ana looked at her with a skeptical eye.

"You look unwell, is something the matter?" Simone smiled at the old witch and nodded.

"Just bothered by a vision."She pulled her braid over her shoulder, playing with it.

"Will you be bringing it up at this morning's council meeting?"

"Of course." Ana nodded approvingly and they walked in comfortable silence the rest of the way to the large open council room. Half of the circular room was open walls, leading into a lush garden that scented the air beautifully. Comfortable chairs surrounded the low stone table, some of them already occupied by council members. Reinhart seemed to take up most of the west side of the table, the large shifter waving over Ana as they entered the room.

"Good morning Jack." Simone gave him a kiss on the cheek and ruffled his white hair as she passed him to find her own seat.

"Simone." He greeted in return, before turning towards the others that entered the room after Ana and Simone. Soon everyone was sitting and Jack began the meeting. Simone tuned it out as she looked at the others gathered around the table. Humans, Shifters, Centaurs, Dryads, and Nephilims all lived within Overwatch and followed the Council's rules. Jack and Ana were the only humans on the council, although Ana was also a witch. The other members of the council were Winston and Reinhart, a gorilla and a lion shifter, and Angela, a Nephilim like Simone. None of the centaurs were old enough or mature enough to have a seat on the council yet, though Lena or Lucio were being considered. The Dryads didn't care about such things like politics, so they declined the offer of a seat on the Council.

"Simone?" She looked up, everyone at the table was watching her.

"Yes?" She folded her hands on the table.

"Ana said that you had a new vision. Care to share?" Winston asked.

"Oh, of course. Though I do warn you that it is extremely vague. I don't really understand it myself, just the feelings I get from it."

"You usually have no problem understanding your visions." Angela's brow furrowed.

"You may understand more what I mean after I explain." Simone proceeded to tell the rest of them about her vision. All except the feeling that she couldn't quite place, that she kept to herself.

There was silence around the table, although the many expressions on the members of the council meant that the vision must mean something.

"What do you think it means?" Jack asked, careful to make his face emotionless.

"The only thing I understand about my vision is that something is coming. The fear I felt was… it was terrible. I believe that there is a threat coming."

"The eyes, were they a representation of the threat?" Winston asked.

"No, the blue eyes; they were Jack's. I think they represented the people I know. I think the red eyes represent a possible allie, one that can help us with what's coming."

"But nothing else on what that threat might be?" Ana prompted her to continue.

"None at all. I'm sorry, I told you it was vague."

"Nonsense, you did wonderfully. We will figure it out." Reinhart smiled.

"You should go meditate. It helps with your future sight sometimes." Jack dismissed her. Simone was shocked and very confused. She had never been thrown out of a Council meeting before and it certainly did feel like that was happening. She stood up uncertainly, but no one went against what Jack had said.

"Why don't you head down to my workshop and make some tea. I will join you shortly." Ana promised. Simone nodded politely and left, heading through the maze like halls of the Council building. Everything was made with pretty white stone, with big windows to let in the sunlight. Jack and her had rooms in the building, living there with a few others who were not on the Council. Most everyone else had homes of their own to go to when the day was done. Simone was a little jealous. She took the stairs down two at a time, quickly coming to Ana's workroom. She loved visiting Ana in her workshop. There was always so many scents filling the air, steam making the dark room warm. Ana made all sorts of magical potions and elixirs in her workshop, colorful bottles filling the shelves along the walls. She found Ana's kettle and started making herself some tea; she thought hard as she worked. Jack was obviously upset about something, was it that she couldn't be more help on her vision, or was it because he was hurt by it. Her vision had basically said that he wasn't good enough; that they needed to seek outside help to stop the incoming threat. And there was the reaction of the other Council members that was off; that also had her wondering. She stared into her teacup, the color of the steeping tea swirling was hypnotic. It brought memories of black smoke surrounding her. And those red eyes, the ones that drew her in, she wanted to know more about them, she wanted to know who they belonged to. She could almost see them clearly, the way they seemed to almost glow, black seeping into the whites until the blood red irises stood out clearly.

"Your tea is getting cold." The voice startled her, pulling her from her thought. The fingers around her cup and the fact that steam didn't rise from the beverage proved that her tea really was cold. She wondered how long she had been lost in thought. Pushing the cup across the wooden table she looked towards the speaker.

"Did the rest of the meeting go well?" Ana made a noncommittal gesture of her hand, effectively brushing off the question.

"I just spent the last 15 minutes listening to what they thought of your vision. I want to know how you feel. What do you think we should do." Simone didn't answer right away, wondering the same thing herself.

"If there is a chance that the stranger from my visions can help, I believe that we should find him. An alliance should be formed before the threat arrives."

"You would make an alliance with a stranger? And if this stranger of yours turns out to not be the savior you think?" Ana handed her a new cup of tea, this one nice and hot.

"The trouble with explaining my visions to others is that they don't feel the emotions that I feel when I have them." Simone blew at the rising steam and took a small sip.

"When I took his hand, all the fear I felt disappeared. I felt safe, even as I was consumed by the black smoke. Whoever this stranger is, he's not going to pose harm to any of us."

Ana watched her carefully, an unreadable expression on her face as she drank her own tea.

There was a slight breeze pulling at her as Simone set on one of the high towers. Below her played a few of the centaurs. One of the dryads, Hana, was laughing as she was chased by some of the younger centaur colts. It seemed peaceful enough, yet the more relaxed it seemed to be, the more Simone worried. It had been a month since she had told the Council about her vision. Surely they should be doing something about it, but instead, they tried hard not to mention it when she was around. They had even canceled the council meeting that was supposed to be this morning.

"I thought you were not aloud to fly alone." Fareeha landed lightly next to her, her gold wings folding behind her.

"I needed to think. I didn't want to inconvenience you or Angela."

"What is bothering you?" The other woman asked, setting down next to Simone.

"Did your mother tell you about the last council meeting?"

"About your vision of doom?" Simone gave a small laugh, sounding strained.

"It's more about everyone's reaction to it." She explained.

"It's almost like they know something that they are unwilling to tell me."

"That is odd, seeing as you are their advisor. You should tell them your concerns at the meeting. Aren't you late for that?" Simone's brows furrowed.

"Am I late?"

"Mother left for it just before I headed out, but if you leave now you shouldn't miss too much."

Simone stood quickly waving goodbye as she jumped from the tower, Fareeha gave her a small salute as her wings caught the wind and she glided down. If the others were getting together then they lied to her about the meeting being canceled. Why would they lie to her? She headed towards the gardens and steered herself towards the ground. She landed a little clumsily, catching herself before she tripped. Pulling her wings back into her body, she flexed her shoulders. She kept quiet, listening for voices in the adjoining rooms as she inched closer. She could see through one of the open archways if she hid behind one of the blooming lilac bushes.

"We need to meet with him. Explain the situation." Angela tried to be the voice of reason.

"You knew him, and yet you still think we should?" Jack asked.

"Almost all of us knew him before. You're just being biased, Jack."Ana scoffed. Jack sucked in air, his face turning an off shade of purple.

"Ana is right. You took his leaving more personally." Winston agreed.

"Damn." Jack cursed, hitting the table with a fist, before turning away in a huff of anger. This prompted more arguing, and Simone shrank down.

"Enough Comrades!" Reinhart's voice boomed over the others.

"If we are unsure how to continue, let us turn to the one who had the vision. Why are we even keeping this from Simone?"

"She didn't know Gabriel like we did, she wouldn't understand." Jack explained.

"You give the girl too little credit, my friend." Reinhart argued.

"He's right." Simone came into the room, looking directly at Jack, who at least had the decency to look surprised.

"Eavesdropping?" Ana asked, a sly smile on her face. Simone squared her shoulders.

"Something I shouldn't have to do, seeing as I am as much a member of this Council as all of you. Jack, told me it was canceled."

"Jack?" Angela turned to him, as did most of the other council members.

"I didn't want to get you involved." Simone folded her arms across her chest.

"I already am, Jack! And you know who the stranger from my vision was, but you kept it from me." She tried to keep the hurt out of her voice, but it must have crossed her face instead. Jack came to her, hands on her shoulders.

"You don't understand. I didn't want you getting your hopes up." She shook off his hands.

"I know what my vision told me. It's about the future of our people and you are letting the past cloud your judgment. Have Ana read the ruins if you are so uncertain. Maybe you will trust her more than you trust me."

"Don't be mad at him Simone, he has good reason to be wary." Winston intervened. Simone sighed, embarrassed at her anger.

"Who is the stranger from my vision?" She asked, not caring which one of them answered.

"His name is Reaper."

"Reaper?" Simone had only heard his name a few times. Reaper was the ruler of the Dark lands of Talon, people of Overwatch tended to keep their distance from those who inhabited Talon. They were not enemies, but they were not allies either.

"We knew him before he became Reaper, when he was Gabriel Reyes." Ana told her.

"Before he sold his soul for power and became a Wraith." Jack growled.

"I don't understand." Simone admitted.

"When we all first joined the Council, before you came along, there was a question of who would be council leader." Winston started to explain.

"Jack and Gabriel were both candidates, but when the old council appointed Jack instead, Gabriel became jealous. He started to take trips into the Black Forest, and on one trip he met a wraith. When he came back, he was different. He left for good a few days later without explanation. It was only a few years later that we found out what happened to him."

"He sold his soul?" Simone whispered, remembering what Jack had said.

"He became a wraith and was appointed the leader of Talon. He goes by the moniker Reaper, seemingly to distance himself from his old human life."

"You can see why Jack has a hard time believing that he is the one to help us." Reinhart said.

"But Overwatch and Talon have never been enemies. And they are at just as much risk as we are from whatever is coming. We will need an alliance to survive this war." Simone tried.

"You know where I stand Jack." Ana said simply.

"Jack, he was your friend before, but he needs to be our allie now. He is the leader of Talon, and you head the Council. Can you put the past behind you for the sake of the future?" Angela asked. Jack looked to Simone as if confirming it was the only option before taking a deep breath.

"The Council will set a meeting with Reaper and his advisors to discuss a possible alliance. I will inform the rest of you when the time has been set." Jack's voice was strained, but commanding all the same.

Simone came to his side, reaching out a hand to one of his.

"I'm sorry." She said, slipping her fingers through his.

"This really hurts you and I'm sorry that I'm the one who brought it up." Jack shook his head sadly.

"It was a long time ago, but it still cuts deeply. It's not something you can easily forgive."

"Will you be okay?"

"It is an alliance to stop a war, they will have to understand. The worst they could do is say no, right."


	2. Chapter 2

The time was set. In just a few days time, Simone and the rest of the council were going to meet with Reaper and his advisors to discuss the needed alliance. Everyone was nervous, everyone except for Simone. She knew that Reaper wouldn't turn them down. The man may have sold his soul for power, but he would have to be heartless as well to condemn his people to possible death just to spite the Council. She had tried to learn more about Gabriel as the others had known him, but no one seemed to want to answer her question. Simone suspected that Jack had warned them off. Her curiosity wasn't just reserved for the red eyes man either.

"Have you ever been to the Black Forest?" She asked one afternoon. She was in one of the larger pastures, picking newly blossomed flowers with a few others.

"No." Angela kept picking, not even bothering to look up.

"That place is super creepy." Lena said from where she sat, as Mei braided flowers into her tail.

"My people call that place the Forest of the Lost. Only lost souls can survive in there." Mei said quietly before giving a small shudder and continued her braiding. Simone frowned, if the Dryads believed the place to be so, it must be bad.

"It is not a place that someone comes back from easily." Genji agreed. Angela gave a sad smile, patting Genji lightly on the back, knowing he had lost a brother to the Black Forest a long time ago.

"But what makes it so evil? How is a bunch of trees that bad?"

"It's all the dark magic." Jesse explained, laying on his back in the grass.

"The dark elves live there and the forest has been tainted by all their dark magics."

"I've never met a dark elf." Lena said excitedly.

"Well you wouldn't would ya, they don't leave the Black forest."

"But what if you only wanted to visit?" Simone asked

"You don't just visit the Black forest, Simone. You either leave it be or it claims you." Angela said.

"But Gabriel did it."

"Yeah, and look where it got 'im."Jesse huffed.

"He's right. Gabriel was lost before he even started going there. The forest had its claim over him long before he left for good." Angela turned so the others couldn't see the broken expression on her face. Simone stared down at the bundle of flowers she had picked, thinking hard. Surely the forest wasn't as bad as everyone said, it made the people who lived beyond the forest seem much scarier. Could the Reaper from her vision and the real thing really be the same person?

"If we are too scared to visit, how do we know they are so bad?" Everyone thought about it, but no one answered. The subject was soon changed, the mood lightened rather quickly as everyone else moved on to happier topics. Simone couldn't though, her fingers stroked the flower petals, but her mind was far away.

The night before the scheduled meeting with the Darks, Simone was plagued by dreams. She was also aware that she was dreaming, so it could have been visions that haunted her as she slept. Her whole body felt heavy, and it was like she sank through the comfort of her bed, then through the floor. Then she was nowhere. There was nothing, not even ground under her feet. Then there was a voice. It was a deep growl, sending goosebumps across her skin and her breath caught in her throat.

"Doomsayer." When the voice finished echoing through the emptiness she was jerk violently back to her bed.

After waking up the next morning, she wondered at the one word that repeated over and over in her head. She was distracted as she dressed, remembering only as she rushed through the door that she would need her hooded traveling cloak. Clasping it around her neck she went to meet with the others so they could leave. Reinhart and Winston were both dressed in heavy armor, Reinhart with his hammer at his side. Ana had her staff and a dozen small bottles in a belt across her hips. Simone's eyebrows rose as she took in the weapons.

"It's just precautionary." Jack explained, strapping his sword belt on followed by his heavy cloak.

"They will most likely be armed as well."

"So yes, by all means, bring more weapons." Angela said, sarcasm heavy in her words as her distaste was obvious.

"Angela..." Jack started, but she interrupted him.

"Let us just get going, heaven above we show up armed _and_ late."

"Where are we going?" Simone asked?

"We are meeting at a neutral space. The ruins that overlook the coast at the utmost edge of the Black forest."

"I can't take us there. I've never been that far out." Simone admitted.

"You'll just have to take us as far as you can. I wouldn't want to use such magic in front of them anyway." Jack said.

"Everyone ready?" There were responses of confirmation from everyone, and Jack turned back to her.

"After you." Simone nodded and concentrated. Gathering her magic and with a vision of where she was going, she took a deep breath and let her magic flow. The portal opened easily, a slight shimmer in the air the only indication that something happened. Putting up her hood, she stepped through. It was windy on the other side, and she braced against the seeping cold that came with it. The ruins they were headed to were ahead of them, looking tiny in the distance; it was going to be a long walk. The others came through the portal as well, gathering in a small group until everyone was through and she closed the portal. They walked together, up the slope until they finally reached the meeting point. The ruins blocked a lot of the wind, the howling quieted within the old stone walls.

"They should be here soon." Jack told everyone. While some felt the need to check out the perimeter and check for escape points in case things went badly, Simone left for a quick explore of the rest of the ruins. She didn't make it very far. Holding her hood in place, she stood behind a wall that had crumbled long ago, looking over to the very edge of the cliff. Below it, the waves crashed. She knew those waves, she knew that cliff; they were from her vision.

"They're here." Angela said, coming to her side with Ana.

"Is everything okay?" She asked Simone.

"Yes, just...taking in the sights. Where are they?"

"They just showed up at the edge of the forest. They will be here shortly." Simone looked over her shoulder one more time then followed the other two women through the ruins back to where everyone was. Rain started to fall, light drops of freezing water that seemed to find the gaps in the stone and drizzle all over them. The whole tone was very ominous, as they watched three black hooded figures coming closer and closer in the rain.

"A great many sacrifices are made in times of war, we have to be ready." Ana warned. Simone instantly thought of the taloned hand offered to her.

"I see the future, I'm always ready." Simone whispered, reassuring herself. And then they were there.

While there was only three of them, they were a very intimidating group. The leader, which was obviously Reaper, was wearing a white bone mask which would frighten even the bravest of men. Then next to him were two men, one tall and one short. The tall one was a dark elf.

"Jack." Reaper's voice was low and gravely, an exact match to the voice in last nights dream. Simone suppressed a shiver that had nothing to do with the cold.

"My advisors, Zenyatta and Torbjorn." There were polite nods as Jack made the introductions for their group.

"Now why did you call us out here?" Reaper asked, impatience clear in his voice.

"A war is coming, one that could potentially wipe out all of us."

"And how do you know of this impending war?" Zenyatta, the dark elf, asked in a very melodic voice.

"Our council advisor can see the future, as well as Ana, reading ruins to confirm."

"Then what is it you are proposing?" Torbjorn asked.

"An alliance." Angela supplied.

"We must bring our people together in order to survive."

"Aye, but how would that be benefiting us now?" Torbjorn asked.

"Well, by not dying for starters." Ana retorted.

"This is hardly the time for your sarcasm Ana, I want to know what Jack is proposing." Reaper growled. Jack stared down the other man but remained silent.

"Is it not common that in times of alliance, a bonding is formed to bring two powers together?" Zenyatta asked, breaking the tense silence. Jack couldn't stay quiet any longer.

"A bonding? How is that supposed to help?"

"It's a promise of peace and good standing between two rival kingdoms if royals from each side marry one another. In uniting the kingdoms; it unites them against a common enemy." Angela agreed.

"This is not a kingdom, and it is not a fairytale." Reinhart argued.

"But the principles are the same." Ana said.

"And if there is anything we need between our lands, it is peace and good standing before the war is upon us."

"If, and I say IF, we do agree to this, who would even be acceptable candidates for a bonding?" Jack asked.

"Someone from the council, or a clan leader that is in a high enough position of power to qualify for a candidate." Winston reasoned.

"The Doomsayer." Reaper said, cutting of the other discussion. Simone inhaled quickly, she had remained out of the discussion until now, but she wasn't sure how long that would last. Jack was clenching his jaw so hard she could actually hear his teeth grinding, and he reached out, grabbing her wrist.

"The fortune seer is a perfect choice." Zenyatta agreed.

"Why is that?" Jack asked.

"She is an advisor to your council, if she is bonded to from of our side, then she has an investment in not only both sides, but also our alliance as a whole." Zenyatta explained. Jack's grip on her wrist tightened. She pulled him aside before he could refuse. Everyone else continued their discussions.

"Jack, I will be okay." She whispered.

"Why aren't you more upset about this? They just want to give you away to them and you don't even bat an eye."

"We need to put our people first."

"And you would do this, for the alliance? Is it really a sacrifice you are willing to make?" Simone nodded and laid a hand on his shoulder.

"The trick is to not think of it as a sacrifice." Simone walked to the front and addressed the Darks.

"I accept."

"Splendid." Torbjorn beamed. The other outbursts were less pleased, but kept quiet. Simone stared up at Reaper, looking straight into his mask without an ounce of fear.

"You are the Doomsayer?" She gave a tiny nod of her head. He extended her a hand, sharp silver talons and all. She could have laughed at the sense of deja`vu as she placed her hand in his, her pale skin and lilac sleeves contrasting sharply with all his black.

"When should the bonding ceremony take place?" Winston asked.

"The present is always the opportune time for all great things." Zenyatta raised an eyebrow.

"No." Jack said quickly. He grabbed her shoulder, pulling her back slightly, making her drop Reaper's hand.

"But it needs to happen soon. The faster the alliance happens the faster we can pool our resources and prepare for war." Ana said quietly, several of the others nodding in agreement.

"We can meet back here tomorrow, have the bonding then." Torbjorn resolved. When there were no objections the groups split up, the smaller one heading back into the forest.

"Simone…" Jack started but she interrupted him.

"Let's go home, shall we." She opened a portal and stepped through without waiting for him to finish.


	3. Chapter 3

Simone had gone immediately to her rooms, avoiding everyone and their pitying looks. Her personal items and clothes were all packed in a small bag, and she set at the end of her bed wondering about how few possessions she actually owned. This place had been her home for the last 7 years, yet she didn't have many things that she called her own. She wouldn't regret her decision; the visions for the offered hand, and the dream of the voice calling out to her, she should have realized it sooner really. This was what was supposed to happen. A knock on her door pulled away her attention.

"Come in." The door opened slowly as if the person was ready to change their mind. Jack stood there for a few beats before coming to sit beside her. She gave him a sad smile.

"You knew. You knew this was going to happen, that this was how the alliance would be formed." It wasn't a question.

"I wasn't certain, but I knew it could be a possibility."

"Why didn't you tell me before. I was completely blindsided." He sighed. She shrugged and pulled her braid over her shoulder, twisting it.

"If I had, would you have still agreed to meet with them? And honestly, I didn't even think of it until we were already there. The cliff with the ruins was the same as my vision. It clicked into place then."

"No one is really happy about this, but they will go along with it because you are."

"You don't have to like it, Jack, you just have to understand that it needs to happen. You are a leader; you always have to do right by your people." He wrapped an arm around her shoulder, pulling her close.

"I don't want you to do this."

"I said I would be okay. Bonding with Reaper won't be such a horrible thing." His arm around her tightened and she could hear his grinding teeth again.

"I hate this. We should make them reconsider, maybe someone else…" He noticed her bag sitting by the door. Looking around the room quickly, he realized all of her stuff was gone.

"Why...?" He asked, frustration choking off the rest of his words. He took a calming breath.

"You may have to bond with him, but you won't go into that forest."

"Of course I will. I can't live here after we bond."

"If you go, I will never see you again."

Simone turned, giving his a bruising hug.

"Jack." Her voice muffled against his chest. They held each other for a long time, Jack relaxing into the hug and returning it.

"I'm still a part of the council, I will be back at least once a month."

"I love you." Jack's voice broke a little, finally accepting what was happening.

"I know. And I love you too. But we both know what needs to happen." Jack left soon after that, with no other arguments. There were several other visitors that night, each to tell her how much they would miss her, or trying to convince her to stay. Hana seemed to be the only one excited about the bonding ceremony, even if she wasn't invited. When she finally managed to fall asleep, it was a dreamless night.

Sunlight and another visitor woke her early the next morning. When she replied, Angela stuck her head through the door. Simone set up and stretched, pulling out her wings.

"May I help?" The other woman asked. Simone nodded and Angela came to sit on the bed with her. Pushing Simone's hair aside, she started to groom the soft, gray feathers.

"You don't seem nervous." Angela tried some small talk.

"Not just yet."Simone agreed.

"I wanted to let you know that before... Gabriel was a really good man before he changed. He was gruff and short-tempered at times, but good. And I know that Jack doesn't believe so, but I feel like he could still be that good man." She thought heavily for a minute.

"The stories you hear about Reaper can scare people, but I don't believe them. You don't seem afraid either."

"I'm not afraid of him, but not because I'm trying to be brave or anything." Simone replied, braiding her hair over her shoulder slowly.

"My vision…" Simone began hesitantly, receiving an encouraging noise from Angela to make her continue.

"The emotions I felt in my vision weren't sadness or fear. When he was there I wasn't afraid. I know that when I am with him, I will be safe, and I could even be happy. I didn't say so before, but I liked those feelings. That's why I'm not scared or nervous."

"I'm glad to hear that." Angela smiled. She finished grooming Simone's wings.

"You should wear them out for the ceremony." Angela suggested. Simone shrugged.

"If it's not raining." Angela nodded, standing.

"I'll let you finish getting ready. I'll see you when we leave." She left, shutting the door quietly behind her. Simone smiled to herself as she got up. It was nice to hear that someone else out there had hope for Reaper. Gabriel, she would have to refer to him as Gabriel, she reminded herself. She chose a simple silver dress to wear, standing in front of the mirror examining herself. She shook out her hair, running her fingers through it. The rose gold color looked good against the dress so she decided to wear it down. Chewing her lip she realized that she wanted to look good for the ceremony and her future bond mate. Blushing lightly she turned, grabbed her bag and left the room for the last time.

It had been tense; when everyone had once again showed up at the ruins. There was no time for fuss, everyone wanting to get this finished as soon as possible. Jack stole one last hug from her before she went to stand in her place, and Angela took her cloak from her, giving her an encouraging nod. She stood beside her future bond mate and let out her would have been nice to see if Gabriel reacted, but that mask covered all emotions.

"Let us begin." Zenyatta started.

Simone's heart picked up in pace, beating hard against her ribs.

"Standing here before all witnesses, I bind the two of you. With my magic I bind yours, together in life. As a bind you, so I bind your people and your lands." Simone and Reaper were standing facing one another, left arms held out. The silver claws of his gloves tickled her elbow while her fingertips rested lightly on the inside of his arm. Zenyatta was before them, while Jack and everyone else was behind them. A wave of Zenyatta's hand brought a thin gold chain of glowing light to wrap around their forearms.

"With your acceptance, I bind your life, together in magic. With your love, I bind your souls. Gabriel, do you accept these vows?"

"Yes." He rumbled, with only the slightest of hesitation.

"Um, I realise I do not remember your name." Zenyatta whispered, sounding embarrassed. Simone felt a blush creep across her cheeks.

"Simone." She whispered back.

"Simone, do you accept these vows?"

"Yes." Simone said confidently, remembering the warm feelings from her vision.

"If the witnesses have no objections," He paused, though not for more than a second.

"The two of you are bound, your souls entwined until death take you. From this day forward our lands are allies, in war and in peace." The gold chained glowed brighter before dissolving completely. Simone had a new awareness to the man next to her, she could almost feel his magic sitting right below his skin. She wondered if he could feel hers.

Simone said her goodbye and collected her bag from Winston. When everyone was ready, she opened them a portal and closed it after they had left.

"A nephilim and portals, any other surprises?" Gabriel asked, taking her bag.

"We will have to see." She gave a small smile, Torbjorn gave a big barking laugh.

"I like this one. I have a feeling she is going to make things interesting."

"Is there any possibility you can open a portal for us as well?" Zenyatta asked

"Sorry, no. I can only open portals to places I have been before."

"Every power has its limitations." He sighed and shrugged politely.

"Come on. We have a long way to go." Gabriel growled, leading the way. Simone quickly brought in her wings and put on her traveling cloak.

"That is absolutely fascinating." Zenyatta said quietly. Simone blushed heavily, pulling her hood up.

"I don't mean to offend. It's just that you are the first Nephilim that I have ever really met."

Simone gave him a sweet smile.

"It's okay. I've just never been complimented on my flight magic before."

"That is a shame, you have very beautiful wings."

"Thank you." She stammered out, embarrassed again.

"You are actually the first dark elf that I have ever met." She confessed.

"Understandably. We do not leave the forest often." Zenyatta returned her smile.

Simone looked towards said forest, and her heart leapt in her chest. It was so close, closer than she had ever been before. Just a few steps and she would be under the trees. Sound became muffled and she tried swallowing around the lump in her throat. She was going into that dark and scary place; she was going to live there. In a strange place, surrounded by strangers. She finally realized that she should be nervous and worried, regardless of what her visions had shown her. Her hands fisted the material of her cloak, and she found it hard to put one foot in front of the other; she was scared.

"What's all this standin' around for?" Torbjorn asked impatiently. Gabriel looked back over his shoulder, seeing her frozen in place with Zenyatta waiting next to her.

"What are we waiting for?" He asked.

"I'm sorry." Simone whispered. Her left wrist tingled slightly as Gabriel came towards her.

"I've never been into the forest. It's a little… intimidating." She chewed at her bottom lip as she waited for their response.

"That's the point." Gabriel said, steering her forward with a hand at the small of her back.

"To scare away innocent little things like you, before you get eaten up!" Torbjorn laughed loudly.

"What?!" She turned to the short man, eyes huge.

"Enough." Gabriel barked.

"Let's go." His hand putting more pressure against her back.

"Is he serious?" She asked Gabriel in a whisper. She looked up at him, once again wishing he wasn't wearing the mask so she could read his expression.

"You will be fine." He simply said, not really reassuring her. She unconsciously moved closer to him as they finally entered the forest.


	4. Chapter 4

When Gabriel had said it was a long way to go, he had meant it. It took almost the whole day to finally reach the city. And while the trip itself remained uneventful, Simone was glad that they had made it before nightfall. She was so exhausted, both emotionally and physically, that when they arrived she asked to go straight to her new home for some sleep.

She wakes several hours later, and for the first time pays attention to her new surroundings. She got out of the overly large, plush bed and carefully walked to the windows. Looking out she saw the city.

If you could even call it that. Simone was used to large open spaces with lots of sunlight, Talon was almost built into the forest itself. It was a crowded criss-cross of trees and bridges, many of the buildings built high into the trees themselves. No stars in the sky, the tops of the trees blocking off the sight of the sky. There was plenty of light though, dancing lights in all hues of colors all over to keep out the dark. It was absolutely beautiful.

"Wow." She whispered leaning further out. She watched the city below her, surprisingly busy for it being night.

"Don't fall." Simone turned and saw Gabriel standing in the doorway.

"It's not what I thought it would be." Simone admitted.

"Not dark enough?" He asked as if reading her mind.

"You were in Overwatch once, you remember what they say about this place." She looked back out at the city.

"Nightmares to keep others away; to keep them safe." His voice was low, almost sad.

Simone felt the urge to say that not everyone heeded the warnings, such as Gabriel himself, but kept quiet.

"Eat, then sleep. You can explore the city tomorrow." Gesturing to one of her bedside tables at a tray of food, he turned and closed the door behind him. She turned back, leaning against the wall as she watched out the window. Simone was neither sleepy or hungry, choosing instead to watch the view below until the magical lights faded; replaced by early morning rays. She quickly groomed her wings, braided her hair, and changed her clothes. Gabriel said she could explore, and she had every intention of doing so. Before she went out the door she stopped at the tray of food, putting several small fruits and a small roll of bread into her pockets; she didn't have to stop when she got hungry now. Following the same route from the day before, she went down the long spiral staircase before taking a deep breath and going out to the city streets.

There were so many new sights and new sounds; Simone wanted to touch everything, the bright colors catching her attention easily. Her curiosity was seemingly limitless as she took in the new surroundings. She was actually enjoying herself. Much like Gabriel had guessed last night, she hadn't thought her new home would be colorful and amazing. She did still feel nervous, yes, but she could almost laugh about the fear she had before. Simone walked slowly, taking her time as she went through the city, learning as much as she could. She pulled snacks from her pockets every now and then, not stopping as she nibbled on them. The streets soon filled as other people woke and started their days. There was as much diversity here as there was in Overwatch, though her and her wings did get quite a few stares. They obviously didn't get any Nephilim visitors. She smiled and would give small nods, but the nervousness in her belly kept her mouth silent. As time passed she grew tired and more than ready for a bath; the warm humid air making her hair stick to her neck and back. She decided to head back, but when confronted with the stairs decided to take a shortcut. Wings brought her up quickly, reaching out she grabbed at her window ledge and pushed it open. With a happy sigh, she folded her wings in and sat comfortably on the edge, feet swinging in the air. She was happy with her productivity so far, she gave a soft smile.

"Where the hell have you been?" The words were a growl, causing her to jump as they took her by surprise. Gabriel was standing in her doorway, and he didn't sound pleased.

"What?" She asked, not really sure what he was trying to say.

"Did it occur to you that finding your room empty could cause some alarm? For all I knew you had run off, back to Overwatch."

"I...I'm sorry. I only went to see the city. I didn't mean to make you worry." She apologized, climbing fully into her room. Gabriel gave a harsh laugh.

"It wasn't worry. Leaving would mean the alliance is over." Simone flushed heavily, both in embarrassment and in anger. He turned to leave, obviously done belittling her. Her anger got the best of her and she called to his retreating form.

"You told me I could explore and I did. You should never have assumed I ran away. I entered this bond willingly and I'm not going to go back on my word." He stopped, barely turning his head to acknowledge her and then continued on his way.

"Jerk." She said under her breath. She had told him the truth, she wouldn't break their bond. Even if he thought she was silly or scared, or if he was being a horrendous jerk. She had seen the future, she had felt emotions that she wouldn't ever forget; even if she didn't feel them now, she knew she would. So she would stay, for the benefit of their people and for her own future happiness. Simone wondered why he was there when she saw that there was a large copper tub set up in the corner of her room. Her heart gave a little skip and she felt a small smile on her face. Her anger faded as she dipped her fingers into the water; it was still warm. Gabriel had obviously had it sent up for her, and that's when he found her gone. Was his hurtful remarks just the temper that Angela had mentioned he had when he was still human?

Simone's first month there was interesting. She liked to spend her mornings walking through the village. She had met many amazing people and tried so many new things. Her and Zenyatta had become good friends; he showed her around and knew how to brew some delicious tea. But her good experiences came with bad ones too. Gabriel avoided her a lot and ignored her the rest, and his second in command, Amelie, was equally hostile towards her. She spent a lot of time missing her old friends, her old home. But she would see them soon. It was time for the Council meeting, which meant she was going to spend the day back at Overwatch. After waking up she went to find Gabriel, she was going to invite him to go with her. After that first freak out, she wasn't sure how he would react to her going back. Inviting him seemed like the best solution. Of course, Simone found him with Amelie. She nodded hello to the taller woman.

"There is a Council meeting today." She told him. He looked at her, his mask betraying no emotion.

"Will you go with me?" She asked. The question made him stand a little straighter.

"Why would he go with you?" Amelie smirked. Simone narrowed her eyes, it was too early for her rudeness.

"Because he doesn't trust me." Simone answered truthfully.

"When?" He asked. Amelie rolled her eyes and left the room.

"Soon." Simone replied. She played with the hem of her sleeve nervously; it was the first time they had been alone together since her first day there. He left the room, and she sighed. Simone didn't understand why he was being so unpleasant, she wished he would be more like he was when they first met. She went to leave too but was stopped as she ran into Gabriel, steadying herself with a hand to his chest. Her cheeks burned with a bright flush. He had only gone to get his broadswords, strapping them to his belt as he came back. She took a large step back, hiding her hands behind her back. He stared down at her, mask as unreadable as ever.

"Are you ready?" He asked.

"Yes, I can open a portal whenever you want to go."

"Do it." She thought of the big, white council building, and felt her magic open the portal. She gave a shy smile and stepped through, waiting on the other side for him. He followed quickly, but immediately stiffened when he reached the other side. He seemed to instantly be on alert, hands at the ready on his sword hilts.

"Uhm, this way." She directed starting to walk to the council room. He probably already knew though, she grimaced to herself. He was probably very familiar with the layout. She pushed open the door and was immediately deafened by the sound. Everybody was so happy to see her, calling her name out when they saw her. Reinhart scooped her up in a bone crushing hug, causing her to laugh.

"Nice to see you too." She smiled. The mood quickly fell when Gabriel followed her into the room.

"Simone?" Jack growled, questioning. She stared him down.

"Be nice." She demanded more than asked. Jack frowned, pulling out a chair for her to sit next to him.

" _HE_ can wait in the hall." Jack said. Gabriel gave what could have been a growl, but didn't say anything in retaliation.

"Jack!" Simone gave his shoulder a sharp poke.

"I asked him to come with me, so you will behave yourself."

"This is a council meeting, and usually that means council members only."

"He's fine, Jack. It's not like he hasn't attended a meeting before." Ana said from across the table. Gabriel came to stand behind Simone's chair, but far back against the wall. Crossing his arms across his chest, he stayed silent as he watched the room. Simone paid careful attention, eager for all of the new news, to hear how everyone was doing. It seemed like she had been gone for so long and for no time at all, she didn't even know it was possible but that's how she felt. Unfortunately, the meeting ended faster than she would have liked. Ana came to walk her to the door slowly as everyone filed out of the room at different paces, saying their goodbyes.

"How are you doing?" She asked with a pat to Simone's hands. Simone smiled.

"I'm good." She lowered her voice slightly.

"It's so pretty there, Ana. And the food is different but so good. Maybe next time I will bring you some tea to try."

"You sound happy. Some of us were worried." Ana admitted. Simone rolled her eyes jokingly.

"You all worry too much. You forget I am capable of taking care of myself. And that I'm older than almost all of you." Ana laughed. She gave Simone a hug and said goodbye. Now it was Jack's turn.

"Don't be a stranger." He said, giving her a tight hug. She gave a soft smile.

"I've missed you too." She returned the hug.

"I'll see you next month." Pulling away she gave his hair a small ruffle. Jack glared over her shoulder at Gabriel as he moved behind her. She felt a large hand on her lower back.

"Let's go." The slightest pressure pushed her forward.

"Bye Jack." She called over her shoulder as they left. Gabriel kept his hand against her back as they walked through the halls, finally exiting the building. She opened another portal, and they went through. As soon as they were back he backed away from her as if he was burned.

"Enjoy your little reunion?" He growled, anger dripping from his words.

"Nothing is wrong with being happy to see my old friends, Gabriel."

"Some more than others?" Her brows furrowed as she tried to understand what he meant.

"Is there something bothering you?" She asked, crossing her arms in front of her.

"What is your relationship with Jack?" Simone was actually surprised he answered.

"Jack…?" Suddenly it made sense. A tiny laugh escaped, she tried hiding it behind her hands.

"You're worried about Jack… and me?" Full blown laughter bubbled out, tears actually forming in her eyes. Gabriel obviously didn't appreciate her laughter, standing as tall as he could to glower down at her.

"Are you done?"

"I'm sorry. It's just…" She gave another chuckle.

"Jack is my brother." A big smile across her face. Gabriel froze.

"What?!"

"Well, half-brother." She explained.

"On our father's side. I'm older."

"He doesn't have any sibling." He argued.

"He didn't know. He only found out when I came to Overwatch 7 years ago." Gabriel groaned, hand to his forehead, claws scratching the mask.

"I can't believe I'm bonded to Jack ' The Golden Boy's' sister." He said under his breath.

"Have you been avoiding me because you believed Jack and I had a relationship?"

He growled but didn't answer. He turned quickly and was walking away when she ran to catch up.

"Gabriel?" He turned to look at her and then dissolved into black mist; escaping.

"Gabriel!" She stopped, giving a sharp exhale. WAS the reason he had been avoiding her because he thought she had been in a previous relationship? Or was he upset because she called him out on the actual avoiding? Simone decided that she wasn't going to let him get away with it anymore.


	5. Chapter 5

"Purple or blue?" Satya asked, holding up a flower of each shade for her to pick from.

"Whatever you think is best." Simone shrugged, letting the other woman get back to work. Satya gave her a critical look before putting down the purple and deciding on the blue.

"It goes with your eyes." She explained, working the blue flowers into her hair. Simone was having an afternoon tea session with Zenyatta and Satya, and Satya was doing her hair in a traditional dark elf hairdo, adding some of her fresh flowers to make it really pretty.

"Why does Gabriel go by the name Reaper? Almost everyone calls him that." Simone asked as Zenyatta passed out cups of tea.

"Reaper is the name of our leader. You call him Gabriel because you are bonded to him." Satya explained.

"Amelie doesn't call him Reaper." Simone pointed out.

"She is his second in command, but also his closest friend." Zenyatta commented, handing Satya another flower.

"Do you think it bothers him that I don't call him Reaper?" Zenyatta laughed at her question in a good-hearted way.

"I don't think he knows what to think."

"He certainly doesn't know how to act when it comes to his bond mate. You… what is the word I am looking for?" Satya chimed.

"Perplex?" Zenyatta offered

"Exactly. You perplex him." Simone chewed her bottom lip as she thought this over.

"Well, I don't know what to do as a bond mate either. It's not like I've had one before."

"Take things slowly. Impatience often leads to eating unripened fruit." Zenyatta said calmly, taking a sip of his tea. Both Satya and Simone looked at him with bewildered expressions. The elf certainly did have many unique ways of saying things.

"He checks on me every morning." Simone said softly.

"I don't know if it's because he cares or because he feels my magic and doesn't trust me."

"And what do you do?" Satya asked.

"Nothing. He usually leaves without even knowing I've noticed him." Satya finished securing the last of her hair, setting down beside her delicately.

"Maybe you should do something."

"I am not going to let him avoid me forever. I have to come up with something to get us to actually talk to one another." Simone tapped a finger on her cheek as she contemplated an idea. She stood quickly, having decided.

"Sorry to leave so suddenly, but I have to go see Gabriel." She left in a hurry. Satya put her cup down and gave Zenyatta a look.

"Her hair looks exquisite."

Simone wasn't running, but she was walking rather quickly through the halls to find Gabriel. She had decided that she would share one of her ideas with him and she could only hope that he thought it was worth trying as well.

She spotted him working on something in his office and headed in.

"Gabriel." She tried to get his attention.

"Hola`" Simone startled, unaware there was anyone with Gabriel.

"Uh, hello." She gave an embarrassed smile to the young woman.

"You're the angel, right?"

"Oh, um.' Simone wasn't sure how to respond to the unexpected question.

"Sombra." Gabriel growled, but didn't turn to address the two. Simone smiled.

"Only half angel, actually." She told Sombra. The other woman shrugged, circling her slowly and looked her up and down.

"When you die, can I have your body?"

"Sombra!" Gabriel turned now, glaring at her. Simone took a small step away from Sombra, closer to Gabriel. He sighed and explained.

"Sombra's a necromancer."

"Yeah, yeah." Sombra waved her hand and rolled her eyes.

"You would be like super strong; you should take it as a compliment that I even asked." Simone watched the younger woman, a smirk creeping on her face.

"Alright." Simone agreed.

"As long as you promise not to make my body do anything silly or embarrassing." Sombra's eyes went wide and a huge grin broke across her face.

"Deal." She grabbed Simone's hand and gave it a firm shake before sticking her tongue out at Gabriel and running off.

"I can't believe you did that." He shook his head, turning back to his work.

"Nephilim age extremely slowly. Some say we're immortal." Then she frowned.

"I don't have to worry about her trying to kill me in my sleep, do I?" Simone looked over his shoulder.

"No. She respects the contracts that she makes." He turned to her.

"What do you want?"

"Have tea with me?" Whatever he expected, it wasn't that.

"I don't like tea." He said dismissively, thinking she would leave.

"Honeyed figs then." She leaned lightly against his work table. Gabriel sighed, though she wasn't sure if it was in annoyance.

"I'm busy." Chewing her lip she tried one last time.

"I wanted to tell you about something. I'm pretty sure it would count as city business." He raised his head and they simply looked at each other for a moment. He waved his hand as invitation to stay and continue. Simone gave a bright smile.

"I thought that we should have another marketplace."

"We already have a perfectly fine marketplace." He interrupted.

"I agree, it's lovely. But I was thinking more along the lines of a trading marketplace. If there was one that both Overwatch and Talon could have booths and sell their items. It would increase the amount of revenue brought into the city, and it would promote the alliance amongst the people." When he didn't say anything in return she chuckled.

"Don't look so surprised Gabriel, I have helped run a city before."

"I'm not… Where would you even put this market? The forest is too dangerous for your people to traipse through for a simple shopping trip."

"The ruins. It's always been a neutral space and is evenly in the middle of the lands. The people from Overwatch wouldn't have to risk the forest, and our people would still be within a safe distance of the forest if they would need it." Gabriel eyed her, obviously noticing her usage or the word 'our'.

"You've put a lot of thought into this."

"I have."

"What made you think of the ruins?" He asked.

"It deserves to be more than just a pile of old stones. It's special." She blushed, hoping he wouldn't ask her why she thought they were special; she wasn't sure if she could tell him it was because it was where they first met.

"You!" He snapped, causing her to jump.

"Bring some teas and honeyed figs." He told the equally started person he spotted in the hallway. They nodded and hurried off.

"Sit." He motioned for her to take the seat on the other side of the work table.

"I'm not going to be the only one paying for this market of yours, you're going to have to talk to the Light Council about it and get their support too." She nodded, folding her hands neatly in her lap.

"I'm not drinking any tea." He informed her, going back to his work. She smiled, her heart giving a tiny skip.

Simone couldn't get Satya's words out of her head. _"Maybe you should do something."_ After the progress that was made earlier this week, she really should try it. But her heart beat so hard at the thought. She had spent most of the night convincing herself it was a good idea, but now that she was going to put it into action she was very nervous. Second thoughts tried creeping into her mind. She brushed bangs from her face, feeling very self conscious. She took a deep breath and brought out her wings before she could talk herself out of it. She gave a happy stretch and then twisted her braid in her hands as she waited. Sure enough, the door cracked open just a little, and Gabriel looked through; checking in on her or making sure she hadn't opened a portal to run away, she didn't know. She spoke up as he turned to leave.

"You can…" She cleared her throat, speaking clearer.

"I mean… It's faster to groom them if I had help. Would you?" Her wings expanded slightly as if drawing attention to them. He took half a step into the room but didn't try coming in any farther.

"You would trust me with your wings?" He asked, uncertain. Simone guessed that he knew how protective Nephilim were about their wings from his time in Overwatch. It helped this situation though, he knew how important this was to her.

"Of course; you are my bondmate." She said quietly, not able to at him directly. He hesitated, a fist clenched as he looked at his taloned fingertips. He gave a jerky shake of his head and quickly disappeared out the door. Simone tried not to let the disappointment weigh too heavily on her, starting to groom her wings herself. She would try again tomorrow, and the next day, and the next. He would either stop coming to check on her or, as she hoped, he would take her up on her offer.


	6. Chapter 6

The days were starting to get longer, a sure sign that summer was coming. And Simone had never felt more useless. She hadn't had any useful visions that could have answered the questions everyone had about the incoming war. She hadn't had any luck with Gabriel either. Every morning he stopped by, but he never came more than a few steps through her door, and he never stayed to help groom her wings. He still allowed her to visit him in his office, and she frequently had tea there while he worked; he still stayed so distant.

Jack and Gabriel collaborated to create a war council, trusted advisors and leaders from each species from both lands holding seats. Once again she was asked to be the advisor, a position that would keep her far from any real danger. She protested, of course, feeling as if they were only trying to pacify her with the position. She was the go-between, between the two lands, at least until they could all meet up together. And Zenyatta and Satya were part of the council, so she had a few friendly faces to speak with. They were walking together through the halls, Simone with a tired smile on her face as she tried showing interest in what they were talking about. She came to a sudden halt, bracing herself with a hand to the wall.

 _Bright colors swirled in her vision, and firelight cracked. Tiny bells chimed from her ankles every time she twirled with the beat of the drum. Excitement bubbled from her through in the form of laughter and she twirled faster. The firelight burned brighter, and drums and bells sounded louder. Across the firelight, she saw Gabriel. A big grin took over her face and butterflies filled her stomach. She was in front of him, and he held out a hand to her. She laughed at the familiarity of it and happily placed her hand in his. With a twirl, she was against his chest, his arm around her lower back as he dipped her slowly. One arm wound around his neck and the other reached up to his mask. Fingers pushed it up slightly, and she saw dark skin and even darker facial hair. She wanted to push it further up, to reveal more._

Inhaling sharply, a smile pulled at the corners of her lips as she came back from her vision. Blinking rapidly she focused on very concerned faces surrounding her.

"Uhm..." She pulled herself inward, grabbing onto her braid.

"Are you alright?" Zenyatta asked, hands hovering around her shoulders as if wanting to comfort her.

"It's okay, it was just a vision. I'm perfectly alright." Simone tried to reassure them.

"You stopped breathing. Is that normal." Gabriel's rough voice sounded directly behind her. She turned slightly, looking up at him. He was incredibly close, a blush burned up her neck to her cheeks.

"I've been told I do that, yes. But it's only for a moment, no harm is done."

"What was the vision about?" Satya asked, as calm as ever. Eyes bright, Simone clapped her hands together excitedly.

"When is the festival?" She asked.

"Festival?" Satya puzzled at the sudden question.

"The Mid-Summer's Festival?" Gabriel asked.

"I guess the name is self-explanatory then." Simone chuckled.

"You had a vision about the festival? Is something bad going to happen?" Zenyatta asked.

"Not all of my visions predict bad events. I saw the colors and the bonfires. I heard the drums." Biting her lower lip she gave a tiny shrug of her shoulder.

"I was dancing." She finished. Zenyatta gave a serene smile.

"Then it promises to be a very enjoyable festival this year." He and Satya started walking again, slowly as they waited for Simone to join them.

"Do you dance?" Simone asked Gabriel, voice soft so the others wouldn't overhear.

"No." He stated simply.

"I have a feeling that you would be very good at it." She gave him a coy smile and followed the others down the hall, no longer feeling as down as before. Her vision might not have been much use to the Councils, but it certainly showed her that Gabriel and her were going to grow closer.

She tried to suppress a giggle, but it escaped. Satya gave her a smirk.

"Flirting with your bondmate?" She raised a groomed brow. Simone flushed heavily, looking over her shoulder at Gabriel still standing in the hall.

"I don't know what you're talking about." She tried denying.

"Isn't it good?" Simone asked. She had brought a new tea blend, one that Zenyatta had recommended.

"It is different. But it certainly is delicious." Ana agreed. Simone was spending some quality time with her old friends and colleagues; Gabriel and Jack in the council room arguing about something trivial. Angela and Mei also agreed, thoroughly enjoying the new drink.

"It's so fruity!" Mei commented, taking another sip.

"You would be surprised with how many different types of things grow on trees out there." Simone chuckled. Reinhart's booming voice rang through the garden as he joined in on the discussion in the other room.

"It's good that you can visit. It's been, what 3 or 4 months since you left? We don't get to visit very long when you come over for meetings." Angela said. Simone sighed happily.

"I know. I've missed you all. But time just seems to pass so quickly when you don't notice it."

"At least you seem happy." Mei smiled.

"I am." Simone chewed her bottom lip. "Honestly... some days are hard. I wish I could be more helpful to everyone, and I'm just not. There are sometimes I feel a little useless sitting around drinking tea." She confessed, her hands twisting at her skirt.

"Oh, sweetheart." Ana patted her shoulder warmly.

"There is so much pressure on your shoulders, it's not fair to you."

"You shouldn't worry so much. We are all here to support you." Angela agreed. Mei looked at her quizzically before adding her opinion.

"You can't force yourself to have visions. You are only adding stress into your life. And being newly bonded probably isn't helping."

"No," Simone disagreed. "Gabriel… He's been very patient. He can be a little aloof, at times, but he's not cruel about it. It's a new situation for both of us, and we are both getting used to it. I've been trying to spend more time with him. I'm just beating myself up over not being very helpful"

"He can be so scary though." Mei frowned. Simone chuckled, glad to be finished with such a depressing topic. And glad that her friends understood and supported her.

"Only when he wants to be, but there are times..." She hid a giggle behind her hand.

"Like, he thought Jack and I were a couple." The others laughed.

"He was jealous, and he will deny it; but he threw a tantrum."

"Jealously is a good sign, right?" Angela asked.

"It might be. But when Jack is concerned, who knows." Ana teased.

"Anything else?" Mei prompted her.

"I spend a lot of time with him in his office. We don't really talk, but he doesn't mind me there when he works. And…" She hesitated, her voice getting quiet as she twisted her skirt nervously.

"I… may have asked him… to help groom my wings." A blush started on her cheeks.

"Oh, my!" Angela broke into a big smile.

"So scandalous." Ana teased. The women laughed as Simone's blush grew.

"He hasn't yet!" She quickly clarified.

"Yes, but you extended the offer. And he must know how important that is to you." Mei chuckled.

"Why hasn't he?" Ana wondered aloud.

"He hasn't exactly told me." Simone sighed, taking another drink from her cup.

"You should ask him!" Angela told her.

"I've already offered it to him, I can't just demand an answer as to why he won't."

"Why not?" Ana asked pointedly. Simone groaned lightly, covering her eyes with her hands.

"It's embarrassing!" She whined. The other three women laughed at her obvious discomfort in a good-natured way. Their laughter was interrupted as the arguments from the council room spilled into the garden.

"Are you done gossiping?" Gabriel growled, tired of talking with Jack and the others.

"Yes!" Simone jumped up, a little relieved to be rescued from the teasing. She said her goodbyes and everyone got a quick departing hug as Gabriel led her from the building.

"Jack liked the idea of rebuilding the ruins to be a marketplace." He told her.

"Really?" She asked excitedly.

"He did once he found out it was your idea." He gave her a sideways glance. She laughed.

"Is he willing to help build?"

"He better be." Gabriel complained as they stepped through her portal together.

"I'm glad to see you two getting along." He scoffed, low in his throat. Amelie came up to them, all tall and tight-lipped, she gave Simone an uninterested glare before turning to Gabriel.

"The junkers have created a problem in the forge. Torbjorn is waiting there for you."

Gabriel headed out, and Simone went to follow but Amelie sneered down at her.

"There is no need for you to go." Simone hugged herself, wanting to hide away from her cold gaze. Instead, she tilted her chin up.

"I don't believe you're the one to decide that." She brushed past the dark elf and followed after Gabriel. Heart in her throat, she couldn't believe she had talked back to the stoic woman. Gabriel was watching her. Simone shrugged guiltily.

"I think she hates me." Gabriel let out an honest to god chuckle that surprised Simone. It was short and it sounded as if he hadn't done it in a very long time.

"She hates everyone." She pulled her braid and turned her head into her shoulder, hiding a smile.

They made their way to just outside the trees, where a huge forge set burning, heating the whole area. She had never ventured out this far, so she was anxious to look around. Torbjorn was screaming at two others, one huge man with tusks and one tall skinny man whose hair was actually on fire. As Torbjorn yelled at them he picked up scraps and shards of metal that seemed to have been strewn around the blacksmith yard.

"...what you've done. You stay away from my scrap! You have your own!"

"Is there a problem?" Gabriel asked them, already aware that there was one.

"These Junkers need to keep away from my good scrap. I can't get anything done with them stealing and blowin up the place all the time." Torbjorn waved an angry finger at the dou.

"You keep all the good stuff!" The skinny one whined. Gabriel growled in frustration as the two parties argued over who was at fault. Simone was peeking around, staying out of the dispute when she was a giant pot-bellied boar lying down munching on some roots. Her eyes got huge and her hands practically itched to pet it. She walked over to it.

"What a cutie." She clicked her tongue to get its attention.

"His name is Patchi." The large man said, having left the others to solve the problem.

"He's amazing. I've never seen one get so big." She knelt next to it and gave its head a little scratch. She laughed as it gobbled up the attention.

"Magic. Some of the animals get big here." He explained, setting heavily on the other side of the boar.

"Mako. Call me Hog." He said simply.

"I'm Simone." She introduced herself. He nodded.

"Know who you are." She patted Patchi on the head.

"You work at the forge with Torbjorn?" Mako nodded again. She was used to silence on the other side of the conversation.

"What kind of stuff do you make?" He grabbed a huge spiked hook from his belt and let her see it. It was well crafted, and she was sure it was just as effective at intimidation as it was as doing its job. Gears turned in her head and she came up with an idea. Simone bit her lower lip and looked over at Gabriel. He was still distracted. Plucking up the courage she lowered her voice.

"Gabriel asked you to make armor and weapons, right. Could you make some for me?" Mako gave her a once over and then looked back at her bond mate.

"Why?" Simone blew out a sigh.

"They want me to sit on the sidelines and wait. But I would rather be prepared then sitting scared." Mako gave it some thought before nodding.

"I'll see what we can do."

"Promise not to tell Torbjorn. He'll just tell Gabriel and put a stop to it." The large man laughed.

"No problem."

"Whatcha doing over there, Hoggy?" The thin man hobbled over, throwing himself to lay over Patchi's back. Torbjorn was shaking a fist, obviously still wanting to tell him off. Simone sent Gabriel a little finger wave, leaning away from Patchi to keep from being singed by the lanky man's hair.

"Jamison." Mako grunted, "Be careful."

"We're keeping secrets." Simone smiled. Jamison cackled with laughter. Mako elbowed him and he almost fell off the pig. So he mimed locking his lips, smiling maniacally.

"I won't tell a soul." Gabriel and Torbjorn were heading over so Simone put an end to the conversation.

"I'll stop by tomorrow so we can talk more about it."

"Something entertaining?" Gabriel asked. Simone stood, brushing her hands off on her skirt.

"Just Patchi here. Isn't he just adorable? I think I want one." Torbjorn gave a wave of dismissal.

"Useless animal." A growl rumbled from Mako's chest; he didn't like his pet being made fun of.

"That thing would never fit up the stairs." Gabriel reasoned with her. Simone felt her face fall, a little disappointed.

"Pick something smaller." At his words, Simone's eyes jumped up to him.

"Oh!" Jamison jumped up.

"How about a giant sloth? You can use it like a hammock and nap on it."

"Absolutely not!" Gabriel growled. Simone laughed and Jamie kept throwing out suggestions, each more absurd than the last. After the suggestion of a jungle boa, Gabriel had enough.

"I'm leaving." Gabriel turned on his heel and started walking away. She gave Patchi one last pat on the head and followed after the sulking man. She waved to the three others over her shoulder as she caught up to him.

"No giant animals." He warned her.

"Some of them sounded fun." She protested jokingly.

"You're already a handful. I don't need you riding off on the back of an animal." Her hand reached out, lightly pulling at his sleeve. Bottom lip between her teeth she looked up at him, a light flush growing on her cheeks.

"You should know by now, Gabriel, I won't run away from you." Gabriel tensed under her touch. For a silent moment, he just looked down on her. Then he dissolved into smoke, quickly slinking away. Simone gave a disappointed sigh and pulled her braid over her shoulder. Maybe she came on too strongly? The flush on her cheeks grew hot and she hid the red behind her hands, embarrassed. She had a crush on her bond mate.


	7. Chapter 7

Simone was using Gabriel's office, Sombra keeping her company. Simone had volunteered to help with the Mid-Summer's festival, excited in doing something for the community. Sombra was pestering her with constant questions more than actually helping.

"What happens to your wings when they disappear? Can I see you do it? Does it hurt?"

"No, it doesn't hurt. But keeping my wings inside is uncomfortable after too long. Do you think Satya would be willing to grow some of her glowing flowers for decorations?"

"Of course. She loves to show off." Sombra examined her fingernails. Gabriel came through the door, and noticing Sombra, tried kicking her out of the office.

"Sombra, out." He snapped. Sombra smirked, placing a hand over her heart.

"Ouch, it's like you don't want me here." She craned her head, trying to peek around his back from where she set.

"Whatcha got there, oh mighty and powerful leader?" Simone's interest peaked and she also tried to see what Gabriel was hiding. He growled before holding out a small metal cage. Inside was the most precious little bird Simone had ever seen.

"Awwwwwwwww!" Simone and Sombra cooed, coming closer to peer into the cage. The little bird was blue and teal, with the cutest puffy grey cheeks. It cocked its head as it looked at the two adoring women.

"She's yours." Gabriel stated, handing Simone the cage. She looked up at him in surprise.

"What?"

"He got you a pet!" Sombra clarified, taking the cage and holding close to her face.

"You did?" Simone asked, a shy smile on her face. Gabriel huffed, followed by a gruff, "Yes." He almost sounded embarrassed. Simone threw herself forward, wrapping her arms around Gabriel in a tight hug. Her cheek pressed against his chest, she gave a happy hum.

"Thank you." She whispered. Gabriel's hand brushed against the small of her back, and her heart skipped a beat.

"Aww. It's a lovebird! He got you a lovebird, that's so sweet." Sombra smirked at Gabriel with a knowing glint in her eye. He took a short step back from Simone, effectively ending the moment they were having.

"Sombra!" He snapped before giving an angry growl and left the room quickly. Simone sighed and raised a brow at Sombra. The necromancer rolled her eyes and handed her the cage with her new pet.

"I'm only teasing him." She explained.

"It's rather adorable how much he tries to deny his feelings for you."

"What?" Simone blushed, her voice an octave higher than normal.

"He's always so broody, but now he's less broody when you're around. I mean, he got you a cute little bird for crying out loud." Simone wiggled a finger at the little bird.

"Does he really… do you think he really might have feelings for me?" She asked quietly as if asking the bird instead of the other woman.

"Ay Dios Mio, you are both hopeless." Sombra groaned, excusing herself from the room. Simone couldn't help the smile that took over her face, so big it hurt her cheeks. She gave a little happy wiggle, her heart tap dancing in her chest.

Simone took her new pet around to see all of her friends. Jamie and Mako were disappointed it wasn't bigger, Sayta admired the beautiful coloration of its feathers, and Zenyatta tried helping her pick out a name for it. But she wanted Gabriel to help her name the bird. And it would have been easier if she could find him anywhere. He was doing a very good job at avoiding, not only her but everyone. Putting the cage and the bird safely in her room she went looking for him. As a last result, she asked Amelie. The tall woman stared down at her with her cold, gold eyes.

"Why would I tell you?" Simone pursed her lips into a thin line.

"Because I asked." The dark elf brushed her off, turning away.

"Hardly adequate."

"What's so wrong about me knowing where he is? Maybe it's important."

"Everything is always so important to you. Is it at all possible that he doesn't need you following him around while he works to run this city?" Amelie sneered at her.

"I… I help him. If he wanted me to leave he would ask." Simone defended herself, feeling anger start to build. She had such a good start of the day, and now it was being ruined by a hateful woman.

"He doesn't need your help. You are nothing more than a hindrance to him and to this city. The bonding between you two is nothing more than a joke decided on by cowards who are afraid to fight by themselves." Simone clenched her jaw, she was furious.

"I've had just about enough of you and your hatefulness!" Her voice was raised, fist in tight balls at her sides.

"I don't know what happened to you that broke your soul; but it gives you no right to look down on others. Yes, Gabriel and I were bonded under untraditional circumstances, but that doesn't make it okay for anyone to judge. Now! I asked if you knew where my bond mate was. If you know you will tell me." Amelie actually looked shocked at Simone's outburst. She would have retorted, but Gabriel materialized next to Simone, laying a hand on her shoulder.

"Amelie, you're excused." The dark elf looked at Simone with confused eyes before leaving.

"What was that?" Gabriel asked Simone.

"I told you, she hates me. I just… got a little frustrated." She crossed her arms across her chest and avoided looking at him.

"Not that. You said her soul was broken." Simone fidgeted, staring at the toe of her shoes.

"Yes." She said softly.

"Why?"

"Because I can see it. Her soul. It's broken, and it's not healing."

"You can see souls?"

"I am half angel." She reminded him. Gabriel sighed.

"I told you that she hated everyone. You shouldn't have taken it personally." Simone frowned. He had obviously heard the conversation between the two, and he still asked her not to take it personally.

"I shouldn't have gotten upset, but I won't apologize for defending myself or our bond."

"The two of you should just stay away from each other."Gabriel decided. Simone felt the compulsion to say more but wasn't sure if it would be appreciated.

"Why were you looking for me anyway?" He asked, leading her back to her room.

"I wanted your help naming my bird." He made a scoffing sound from behind the mask.

"You started a fight with my second because you want help naming a bird?"

"Yes." She replied indignantly.

"You're ridiculous." That comment hurt. She knew it shouldn't, but it did anyway. She looked at the floor, her throat getting too tight. Gabriel stopped her, lifting her chin with a single finger.

"I didn't say that to upset you." She stepped back, away from his touch.

"I guess I'm just a little emotional." Gabriel stepped forward, not letting her back away.

"Bullshit. I hurt you. How?" He honestly seemed confused. Simone didn't know what to say, she shut her eyes out to stop the tears.

"I was so happy today. I was actually helpful, and then you… you were so sweet. I felt almost like a normal bonded… You said I was ridiculous, all because I wanted us to share something special. The things Amelie said; I have those doubts all the time. And it's worse because I don't know how you feel. For all I know, you could agree with her. " She blurted out, words tripping over each other as she tried to keep from crying; from feeling stupid. She seized up, realizing what she had just confessed. Gabriel didn't say anything. He probably didn't even know how to respond to her nonsense. She shook her head.

"I shouldn't have said anything." She brushed past him, running up the stairs. Gabriel grabbed her wrist, and she pulled away.

"Please, just…. Don't." Simone made it to her room and shut the door with a sharp snap.

She was embarrassed, and felt like a complete fool. Every time she and Gabriel had a moment of closeness, a step in the right direction, something happened to ruin it. This time she was the one to ruin it; her and her stupid emotional outburst.

The next morning, Simone was sitting at the foot of her bed, she was petting the little bird on the head as it balanced on her finger. She flushed darkly when Gabriel came into her room. He didn't stop at the doorway though, he came and set on the bed behind her.

"I'm sorry." She whispered.

"You shouldn't be." His voice rumbled.

"I made a fool of myself."

"No, you didn't." He reached out slowly, gently brushing her loose curls off her back and neck. Simone sit up straighter, her back stiff.

"Do you still trust me?" He asked.

"Of course." She answered, without hesitation. Gabriel took off his gloves. Simone felt a shiver go up her spine when his cool, calloused fingers ran through the soft down feathers between her shoulder blades. His fingers retreated.

"Sorry." He apologized gruffly.

"No! No… they're just sensitive." She said quickly. Putting the little bird back in the cage where it set beside her, she sat up straight, hands in her lap. Gabriel worked slowly, unsure the correct way to do this. Going from the softer feathers to the longer, stiffer flight feathers, he made sure that they were all straight and healthy. Simone gave a happy hum, soothed and comfortable by his busy fingers.

"Amor." He said quietly.

"Huh?" She made a noise in the back of her throat.

"The bird's name. Amor." She smiled, looking over at the little blue bird.

"I like it. It's pretty." She chirped, calling the little bird.

"Do you like that name, little one?" She asked it. She laughed when it chirped back. Gabriel finished, putting his gloves back on. Simone stood when he did, giving him a sweet smile as she picked up Amor's cage. Placing it on its shelf, she turned to him as he went to leave.

"Thank you." She said softly, twisting a curl around her fingers.

"My pleasure." He responded, his voice a purr, low in a way that made her stomach clench tight. Covering her cheeks with her hands she tried to contain the happy noise that was about to burst from her smile. She was very glad he left before he saw her acting like a love drunk teenager. Her vision became blurry as a vision crept up on her. She became lax, and then started screaming. Gabriel busted back into the room and saw her on her knees. Simone was screaming, eyes unfocused and wide. Hugging herself tightly, her nails clawed bloody trails down her own arms. Other people were arriving, alarmed by the ungodly terrified screams and sobs. Gabriel was on his knees in front of her, grabbing her hands to keep her from harming herself further.

"Simone!" He tried calling, anything to snap her out of her vision. He only started to panic more when her tears turned to blood, leaving gory red streaks down her cheeks to drip into her hair.

"What do we do?" Sombra asked, scared and holding tightly to Amelie. Simone suddenly stopped, going completely limp. Gabriel pulled her into his lap, cradling her against his chest.

"Someone get Overwatch! Now!"


	8. Chapter 8

_A hot wind pulled violently on her hair and clothes. She held a hand up, protecting her eyes. She didn't know where she was, but she had the feeling of being home. But something was wrong, it didn't feel right. She started walking, but the walking turned to running when she seemed to go nowhere. Her surroundings never changed. She tripped. Falling hard, her hands and knees stung from where the ground bit into them. Looking over her shoulder, she saw what she tripped over. A dead body. Panicking, she tried to crawl away and stand up at the same time. But she bumped into another body, and then another. They surrounded her. Her wings burst from her back, carrying her high into the air. Looking down, she saw dead bodies everywhere, for as far as she could see. She started to see her friends among the bodies; her loved ones among the dead. Bile rose up her throat and she physically gaged, covering her mouth. Only to recoil as her hands were covered in blood. A scream tore up her throat, hot tears burned her cheeks as she stared at her hands. Fires erupted, shooting in great geysers from the ground and racing over everything, consuming the bodies. Cackles of laughter sounded below her as creatures began to form from the flames. Fear and dread hit her like a gale force, causing her wings to falter. She started to fall towards the flames. She caught herself, trying to gain altitude, but long-fingered hands that were burned and rotted grabbed at her, trying to drag her down again. Bright yellow eyes and forked tongues appeared from the flames. Laughter swallowing her as she curled into a ball, trying to make herself as small as possible. She wanted to wake up now; she wanted to go back to where everyone was safe and alive. She wanted to stop burning, stop the pain that clawed at her skin, trying to get inside to her soul. Demons. The realization was very clear. Demons were coming to Gibraltar, and they were going to slaughter and burn everything._

Her head hurt, and there was a knot in her back the demanded a stretch. She tried sitting up, but hands gently pushed her back into the pillows.

"Careful Simone." A feminine voice was soft spoken, but it rang and echoed through her sore head. She made a noise of discomfort, bringing a hand to her forehead. She opened her eyes slowly, they felt so heavy. The bright lights made her eyes burn and she winced.

"Angela?" Her voice cracked, her throat was terribly dry. The other Nephilim placed a hand against Simone's forehead, and relief washed over the ache. Simone was able to open her eyes and look around without any discomfort. Angela was sitting in a chair beside her bed.

"What? What are you doing here?" She asked Angela. The other woman looked concerned.

"You don't remember anything?" Simone puzzled over what she possibly could have forgotten.

"I don't…" Her vision flashed through her mind in a blur; in a blink of an eye yet with total clarity. Simone sat up with a jerk, dry heaving over the side of the bed. Angela stood quickly, patting her back to try and soothe her.

"It's okay, calm down. Breathe slowly." She coached. Simone's door opened.

"She's awake?" Simone saw both Jack and Gabriel waiting, not sure if they should come in. Wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, and grateful that nothing actually came up with the heaving, she gave Gabriel a questioning look.

"I feel like I've missed something. What's going on?" He came to her bedside, resting a hand on her knee.

"You had a bad vision." Simone nodded with a grimace.

"Yeah, it was bad."

"He meant you reacted badly physically." Jack said from the foot of her bed.

"I don't understand." She looked at Jack and Angela, brow furrowed.

"How did you guys get here?"

"We came the long way. You've been unconscious for almost a week." Simone felt sick to her stomach again and started to shake her head frantically. Her knuckles turned white as she gripped her covers tight.

"Simone, calm down please." Angela said, softly but firmly.

"Gabriel will explain. Jack, why don't you and I go get her something to eat." They left and Gabriel set next to her.

"What happened?" She asked, her lower lip giving a little tremble.

"You were screaming, and scratching at your arms. Then you started crying blood. After you passed out I sent someone to Overwatch. They escorted Jack and Angela through the forest. It took 3 days. Angela wasn't able to wake you, but she and Zenyatta healed your physical wounds while you were asleep." Simone's eyes itched and tears welled. She couldn't believe what he was saying.

"Don't cry." He warned her, and she let out a sad chuckle. She didn't want to cry either. He brushed her cheek with a knuckle in an affectionate way.

"Sit up and I'll help with your wings." He instructed. She did, mentally grimacing about the state of her wings, having not been released in almost a week. But the knot in her back went away when she brought them out and she gave a small sigh of relief. He gently went through her feathers, making sure she was comfortable and relaxed before he asked.

"Tell me about the vision." He asked. Simone inhaled deeply, then started. She told him every detail she could remember, holding nothing back. She thought the nausea would return as she described the bodies and the blood, but Gabriel kept her grounded, his fingers working over her sensitive wings. Simone was sure that it was the only way she could have re-lived her vision without completely losing control. She hesitated at the end though, not sure how to put the last part.

"I died." She whispered, her voice wavering. His body tensed up and he stopped.

"They dragged me down and I burned." Tears burned behind her eyelids. Gabriel stood suddenly, he seemed angry. Tipping her head back, he made her look at him.

"You're safe here." He promised her. He stomped his way to the door, turning to address her one last time before he left.

"Stay in bed." Pulling her knees to her chest, she buried her face in her lap and cried.

"Never do that to us again!"Sombra pleaded, throwing herself across the bed. Angela made a disapproving noise in the back of her throat but didn't interrupt her conversation with Zenyatta to scold the necromancer. Zenyatta and she had bonded over their healing abilities, and were sitting in the corner of the room talking about her recovery, Amor perched on Zenyatta's shoulder.

"I mean, all of us were pretty scared. You went pretty out of it. But…" Sombra gave an exaggerated shiver.

"He was so impossible to deal with. It got a little better when the Overwatch three got here, but it was still bad until you woke up. Everyone was afraid to say anything to him, like he was going to wraith out and kill the first person to talk."

"If it makes you feel better, I don't want a repeat performance either." Simone shrugged apologetically. Satya sighed and gave a dramatic wave of her hand.

"She is exaggerating. It was a bad few days, but nothing we could not handle." Sombra scoffed, shooting the dark elf a look.

"You certainly stayed out of his way." Satya gave a flush and a haughty look, refusing to make further comment.

"He was distressed and worried." Zenyatta gave his input, stroking the little bird's head. Simone sighed and leaned back heavily into her pillows. After her emotional breakdown, she felt better, but still bad for making everyone worry. Then something that Sombra said caused her to perk back up.

"Three? You said the Overwatch three." Angela clicked her tongue and rolled her eyes.

"When Gabe's messenger reached us, Genji became a little insistent on following us. Jack ordered him to stay behind, but he followed after us anyway."

"So Genji is here, why isn't he hanging around you." Zenyatta and Sombra gave little knowing smiles.

"Reaper will not let him in your rooms. Zenyatta is only allowed in because he is a healer." Satya explained, still not making eye contact with anyone.

"He also finds himself preoccupied." Zenyatta hummed. Simone gave Angela a sly smile.

"What could possibly take his attention off of you?"

"His brother." Simone's brow rose in surprise.

"I thought they were estranged."

"The messenger Gabe sent was his brother. Who was equally surprised to see Genji. I believe they are hashing it out now."

"I didn't know his brother was in the city." Simone admitted.

"Hanzo stays deeper in the forest. He's kind of a loner." Sombra supplied.

"Why didn't Gabriel let Genji come see me?" Simone asked, chewing her lower lip.

"Because Gabe has always been a very protective and possessive person, and I don't think he's changed that much." Angela said sarcastically.

"You're not supposed to have any guests really, we are just crashing the Simone party." Sombra shrugged. Simone smiled, really enjoying her friends.

"Thank you for breaking the rules. I was unaware you were willing to risk his wrath for simple, little me." She laughed.

"Not too willing. Satya has set up a warning system." Zenyatta laughed along with her.

"If he is heading this way, I will know." Satya agreed.

"And your escape plan?"

"Out the window. Isn't that how you do it sometimes?" Sombra smirked.

"I only come in that way." Simone corrected her.

"And how are either of you making it out of that window, we are too high up."

"I am offended that you believe me incapable of using my abilities for something as simple as being in a very tall tree." Satya said sarcastically.

"I'm offended she thinks us stupid enough to just jump out of a window." Sombra rolled her eyes.

"Why can't you just open them a portal. It has to be safer." Angela rationalized.

"It would be a little suspicious, Gabriel can feel when I use my magic. He might figure out I am helping them."

"You hear that Satya, not even willing to help us after we came to check on her." Sombra dramatically held a hand over her heart.

"Can you tell when he uses his magic?" Angela asked curiously.

"The bonding ceremony used does make it possible. It is a two-way street." Zenyatta explained.

"But he uses magic all of the time, so it hardly makes a difference. I have just gotten used to it constantly buzzing in the back of my head." Simone shrugged.

"That's interesting." Angela puzzled.

"Hardly. He's a wraith." Sombra retorted.

"He uses his magic to keep his form stable and solid."

"Wow." Simone whispered under her breath. That was an incredibly large amount of magic to exert for a single day.

"We'll let Satya take care of getting you out of here, that way no one is getting in trouble for using their magic." Zenyatta solved.

"I wouldn't get into trouble." Simone protested.

"But would Satya be able to get them down safely?" Angela asked, always concerned for others. Satya stood up quickly, startling them all.

"A demonstration perhaps." She walked over to the window, gracefully climbing out on the window ledge and proceeded to walk out of the ledge like there was a set of stairs outside of the window. They all watched, waiting, but after a few seconds, she didn't reappear. Sombra jumped up, running to the window and looked out.

"Gah! She's throwing me to the wolves." She proceeded to jump out the window as well. Simone got out of bed and walked over, leaning out the window. It was a set of stairs, or as stair-like as woven vines slowly creeping back down the side of the tree could be. Satya was almost at the bottom, Sombra close behind, going at a much faster pace.

"Why aren't you in bed?" Gabriel's voice growled low behind her. Simone gave a small squeak, spinning around quickly. He walked across the room and leaned over her, looking over her shoulder out the window. He saw the two finally make it to the ground, and run out of sight. Simone's lower lip between her teeth, she held her breath and stood perfectly still. Gabriel was practically pressed against her so he could look out the window, and her heart was going triple speed. He looked down at her but didn't move back.

"Breaking all of the rules, are we." She answered his question with a coy smile.

"Only the ridiculous ones." She wanted to slide closer, to press fully against his broad chest. A discreet cough caught their attention. Angela and Zenyatta were still in the room. Gabriel took a large step back, steering her back towards the bed with a hand to her shoulder.

"What's the point of you two being here if you're not going to keep her in bed?"

"She only just got up." Angela tried to soothe him.

Gabriel set her at the edge of the bed, pointing at the pillows.

"Lay back." She did what he told, blushing bright red, her mind taking things differently then they were intended.

"Bossy." She whispered, knowing he would hear.

"She is doing much better." Zenyatta told him.

"I feel fine Gabriel." She huffed, pulling her braid over her shoulder. He looked at her before turning to Angela.

"Is she?" He asked. Angela nodded.

"Physically, she is fine. All healed. Mentally…" She folded her hand, and thought of how to word it.

"I don't believe that she will regress, but as long as she stays away from stressful situations I believe that she will be perfectly fine within a few weeks."

"I am right here. And I'm fine!" Simone pleaded.

"Is she going to have another episode like this again?" They ignored her.

"We won't ever know. After you explained to us what the vision was, I honestly believe that she reacted so physically because she saw her own death. There is no guarantee that she won't see it again." Angela shook her head sadly at the thought. Simone pouted, then threw one of her pillows at them. It hit Gabriel in the back of the head.

"I. Am. Fine. I don't want to lay around anymore."

"You can go." He told the two healers before turning to Simone. Angela and Zenyatta gave her both looks of amusement and left.

"You can't bully me into staying in bed all day." Simone told him. He leaned over her, bracing himself on the bed's headboard.

"I bet I could." Her breath caught in her throat, suddenly hard to swallow. He was using the deep voice again. And it felt like her insides were melting into a hot puddle in her stomach. Her whole face grew pink and her ears burned. He chuckled, before pulling away.

"At least for the rest of the day, stay in bed. And as long as you promise to stay out of trouble, you can leave it tomorrow."

"I hardly get into trouble." Simone retorted. He scoffed, amusement clear in his tone, and she wished that he wasn't wearing the mask so she could see his face.


	9. Chapter 9

As promised, the next day she was out of her room bright and early. Everyone said goodbye to Jack and the others, now that she was out of bed rest, there was no need for them to stay. After they left, Simone started to check up on things that she couldn't while on bed rest. She checked the progress of the Mid-Summer's festival, which Gabriel told her she should leave to the others. She slipped away long enough to check on Mako and Jamie, and received a silent thumbs up. Gabriel and her argued over going to the Light Council meeting, but she convinced him she would go with or without him. The same argument went with the War council meeting. She always had someone following her, or Gabriel himself would stay by her side, and it was driving her a little insane. But she didn't say anything, knowing it was his way of making sure she was okay. Days were passing quickly, and she was looking forward to the upcoming celebration.

"Isn't it dangerous to have this much extra fabric when dancing around a bonfire?" Simone asked, yards of brightly colored silk in her lap. Simone was at Satya's small house, admiring the other woman's choice of festival wear. Satya handed her a cup of fresh tea and took back the dress.

"One does tend to avoid setting themselves on fire." Satya said, carefully laying the dress out to prevent wrinkles.

"Have you something to wear?" Satya asked, setting back down with another cup for herself. Simone thought about what she had.

"I have one that might work, nowhere near as extravagant as yours. I had it made for special event while part of Overwatch and had it specially dyed to match my wings."

"It shouldn't be something that you would wear for any other day." Satya wave dismissively.

"It is a special celebration. Your outfit must be perfect. I need to see it to be sure."

"Oh… okay." Simone put down her cup and opened a portal to her room. Satya followed her through and Simone searched, pulling the pale grey dress out. Holding up to herself, she showed the other woman. Satya looked it over with a critical eye before shaking her head.

"It may be pretty, but it is not the right kind of dress for the festival. And the person who dyed it for you was mistaken, the colors do not match."

"What?" Simone's brow furrowed and she turned to face the tall mirror on her wall. Satya was right, the dress was lighter in color than her wings. She fingered the fabric.

"I don't understand, could the fabric have faded?"

"No, it's your wings that have grown darker in color." Simone tried to process this information, laying the dress on her bed. Her wings were changing color and she hadn't even noticed.

Why would they be changing? She wondered who else had noticed and why they didn't tell her, and Satya went through the rest of her clothes to find something more suitable for the festival.  
Did Gabriel notice her wings were darker? She ran fingers through her feathers as she stared at herself in the mirror. Chewing her lower lip, she wished she could ask him.

"Simone?" Satya called her, and Simone looked to the other woman using the mirror. Seeing a portal opening she turned quickly.

"Oh my goodness."

"Where does it lead?" Satya asked. Simone gave a shake of her head.

"I don't know." Both women gave a slight jump when someone came through.

"What's wrong?" Gabriel asked, stepping fully through the portal, and it closed behind him.

"You opened a portal to him? I didn't know you were capable of doing that." Satya's brow rose in surprise.

"I didn't mean to do that. I don't know how I did that." Simone confessed.

"What are you two doing? You called to me." Gabriel told Simone.

"We are simply looking over her selection for appropriate festival attire. Simone became distressed about the condition of her wings." Satya said before Simone could answer.

"I wasn't… distressed." Simone denied, but wondered if her worry combined with a need to ask Gabriel caused her magic to open a portal to him.

"Your wings?" Gabriel stepped closer, raising a hand to brush against her feathers.

"What's wrong with them?"

"They are growing darker." Simone said softly.

"And that bothers you?" He asked. She shook her head.

"No. Just that I didn't notice. Nobody has said anything." Gabriel nodded.

"They are growing darker, affected by the magic of the forest." He moved closer, bending to whisper into her ear.

"That doesn't make them any less beautiful." Simone couldn't hide the blush that rushed to her cheeks, or the smile that broke across her lips. He turned, looking over his shoulder at Satya.

"Did you find her something to wear?" Satya pursed her lips.

"No."

"Take her shopping. Get her whatever she wants. I have to get back now."

"Of course." Satya said with a smug smile. Simone grabbed his arm as he went to leave.

"Thank you." She smiled sweetly, rising up to give his mask a quick kiss where his lips should be. Then she turned to Satya.

"Where should we start?"

They apparently needed to start by visiting every shop that had fabric to sell. Satya demanded that they find the perfect color for her before they did anything else. Simone stood there while Satya and the shop helpers held up roll after roll of colorful fabrics to test against her. She was quickly growing bored, and then guilty because they were only trying to help after all. She suppressed a sigh before someone caught her eye. Jamie saw her as he was passing, and gave her a big enthusiastic wave. She smiled, waving back and he hobbled over.

"Whatcha doin'?" He asked, watching as Satya and the store owner argued.

"Finding me suitable clothing for the festival." Simone explained.

"Having a hard time picking the right color though."

"Why not red?" He asked, shrugging his lanky shoulder.

"Absolutely not!" Satya intervened, lip curled at the thought.

"Red'sa good color." Jamie defended.

"Red is too simple. And it would clash horribly with the shade of her hair." Satya explained, as if it was only too obvious.

"We will be choosing this one." Satya held up a bolt of pale gold fabric, so light it was almost white. It shimmered and was almost sheer. Simone blanched, not sure about the choice. Jamie whistled.

"I don't know…" Simone stuttered.

"That's…, I mean it's practically see through!"

"The dress will consist of many layers. Trust me, I would not let you look the fool." Satya turned back to the shop owner and started giving her very strict instructions on making the dress. Simone bit her lip, suddenly very lost. Jamie gave her a nudge, pulling her back to reality.

"Whut next?" He asked. Satya linked arms with Simone and pulled her along.

"We are looking at jewelry now." She gave Jamie a once over.

"Really no need for you to come along." She dismissed the junker as they reached the jeweler's shop.

"Ohh, Shiny!" Jamie ignored the dark elf, looking at all of the beautifully crafted pieces on display. Simone had to agree with him, there were many pieces that grabbed the attention, reflecting the sunlight in a pretty way. Satya looked at pieces for Simone's hair, but a very particular item had caught Simone's eye. Dainty bands of gold braided together with tiny little bells all around them; a matching set that would look perfect around her ankles. Simone smiled, the memory of bells twinkling in her ears. She picked up the delicate anklets and turned towards the other two. She showed them, giving Satya a hopeful smile.

"Do you like them?" The dark elf asked her.

"Very much." Simone nodded.

"Then you shall get them." She also asked the shop owner for a set of dangly earrings and some matching hair pins. She paid for the purchase, giving Jamie's hand a sharp smack when he tried picking up some of the small charms.

"I'll come by and help you get ready on festival day." Satya promised. Simone gave a nervous nod of her head, the event suddenly more interesting when she seemed to have no control over what she would be looking like.

Simone was brushing her hair out before bed when Gabriel found her again.

"Did you find something today?" Simone cocked her head to the side, wondering just how to answer the question.

"Satya bought a few things yes, I'm just not sure what those things will turn out to be. She was… a little overbearing, with her shopping." Simone smiled.

"The point is that I will have a dress for the festival, I just don't know what it looks like yet."

"Satya is a perfectionist. You don't have to worry about your dress." Gabriel explained.

"And do you know what you will be wearing for the festival?" Simone asked, a teasing tone to her question. He gave a low growl, it could have been more of a grumble, and pulled at her hair lightly. Tipping her head back, she looked up at him standing over her.

"Guess." He replied.

"I have a feeling that it's going to be the same as always. Long cloak, dark colors… and that mask."

"Same as always." He agreed with her. She sighed, righting her head to look at the mirror. Glancing at his reflection, she asked.

"Why do you wear the mask?" Her voice was quiet, unsure if the question would hurt him. But she was curious, and had been wanting an answer to that question since she first met him. Gabriel brought a hand to the mask, silver claws scratching at it lightly. Dropping his hand, he answered.

"Because I am Reaper."

"But you are also Gabriel." She said, turning towards him.

"At least… you are to me." Simone found it hard to look him in the eye.

"I'm not meaning to rush you, or anything. I just…" Wringing her hands, she stopped herself before she started to babble.

"When you trust me, okay." He didn't respond, his posture a little stiff. She could feel that things were going to become awkward, so she pressed a quick kiss to the mask cheek and pushed him out of the door with a goodnight.

Simone and Zenyatta weaved through the loud crowd arm in arm. Makeshift stalls had been put up, filling up all of the free space in the usually organized marketplace. It seemed like everyone was either selling or buying special festival trinkets and snacks. The atmosphere was contagiously exuberant. Zenyatta was pointing out his favorite shopping stalls, and buying her all different sort of snacks to try. They met several of her other friends, and she made sure to stop by Mako and Jamie's stall, purchasing a small Patchi figurine made from twisted metal. By midday most of everyone was headed back home, taking a short rest before getting ready for the real festivities of that night. She said goodbye to Zenyatta, but was too excited for an afternoon nap. Instead, she paced her room, imagining all sorts of scenarios for what Satya had commissioned her to wear tonight. Both Gabriel, and then Zenyatta had assured her that Satya had excellent taste in fashion and that she shouldn't be worried. But Simone was well aware that dark elf women were more liberal with the amount of skin their fashions showed. Not that she wasn't willing to try, just maybe not with so many people around. And just the thought of wearing such an outfit in front of Gabriel made her face burn and the butterflies in her stomach to flutter up a storm. Her hands fluttered, trying to cool off her cheeks, and she went to the window. Below her, people were milling around as they packed up all of the stalls and built the wood stacks for the bonfires. Feeling a slight shiver race up her spine, she turned and saw Gabriel at her door.

"Did you enjoy your morning?" He asked. Simone gave him a large smile.

"It was amazing! I can't wait for tonight." He came further into the room, resting a hand on her shoulder.

"Are you sure you'll be okay?" Simone chuckled, not sure what he meant exactly.

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"Angela advised against stressful…"

"That was almost 3 weeks ago!" Simone interrupted. Her hands fisted into the labels of his leather cloak.

"I'm perfectly alright Gabriel, I promise. I've been looking forward to this for so long." Her lower lip bloomed into a small pout, and she looked down to her hands, still gripping him tightly.

"With such an unsure future, I want everyone to have at least one night of fun, without having to worry." She looked up at him through her lashes. He raised a hand, caressing her cheek with his palm, and she leaned into his touch. Her grip lessened, her hands flat against his chest.

"I understand." His voice was low. She turned her head slightly, the tiniest brush of her lips against his palm in a kiss.

"Just don't overdo it." He ordered, before tapping the end of her nose.

"And no more pouting." Simone laughed, surprised at his teasing.

"Only if you promise to dance with me." She slid closer, biting her lip. He growled.

"I don't dance."

"You may change your mind when you see her in her dress." Satya stated, stepping into the room, catching the other two unawares. They both froze, taking a tiny step apart and hands falling to their sides.

"My apologies, I didn't mean to interrupt." She seemed a little embarrassed at having walked in on their moment.

"It's fine." Gabriel reassured her, going to leave so the two women could get ready.

"When are you going to show up for the bonfires?" Simone asked before he made it to the door.

"Trust me, you'll know when I get there." He promised before ducking out of the door.

"I am sorry." Satya apologized again. Simone shook her head, a slight flush working up her cheeks.

"It's alright." She looked nervously at the large bundle that was in the other woman's arms.

"Is that mine?" She asked. Satya nodded, laying out the different garment bags on the bed.

"You will bathe, then get dressed. Sombra will be stopping by to do your makeup while I work on your hair. We only have a few hours, so we must get started right away." Simone wasn't sure that they would need all that time, but apparently, they did. After her bath, Satya worked on drying her hair and getting it styled. Sombra stopped by, all dressed in neon green and purples, ready to start make-up duty. Seeing both Sombra and Satya in their festival gear was causing her nerves to grow, the bright colors and amount of skin was causing her stomach to knot. And when she saw that Sombra had styled a pale purple skull across her face, she was about ready to kick everyone out and just go with her original grey dress. As Sombra came towards her with a makeup brush, Simone flinched back.

"Don't worry. I'll keep it simple." Sombra promised, rolling her eyes. Satya clicked her tongue, continuing with Simone's hair.

"Sombra likes the dramatic flare. Combine that with being a necromancer, and she believes that it gives her the liberty to wear such garish face paint."

"It's not garish!" Simone quickly defended.

"It's just a … I'm not sure I could pull off anything so… unique." She struggled to word it without offending anyone.

"Not skulls for you, mi Reina, I will make you look like the angel you are."

"I'm sorry, I'm just suddenly really nervous." Simone explained, sitting still so the two women could work.

"Do you not trust us to make you beautiful?" Satya asked, a coy smirk on her face.

"No, that's not it…" Simone started.

"We would not make you try anything that makes you feel uncomfortable." Sombra reassured her. Simone felt better, the nerves in her system calming down. Because she knew that they wouldn't. And she knew that in her vision, she didn't feel embarrassed, she was too busy enjoying herself. When they finished with her hair and makeup, they helped her into the dress. Outfit, would be more appropriate. It was a long flowy top, made of many layers of the gold material until it was no longer opaque. It had a slit starting just below her navel, and whenever she moved it would waft around her showing the tight white pants they had provided. She slipped on the anklets and the earrings.

"See. Pure perfection." Satya smirked confidently. Simone turned, looking at her back. Because a lot of it was showing, her whole back bare, with a strap around the back of her neck and the skirt low at her hips.

"It won't seem as bad once you bring out your wings." Sombra assured her, before an evil smirk twisted her lips.

"And Reaper will definitely love it." Simone's face turned bright red, the flush burning all the way down her neck. She hoped he did.


	10. Chapter 10

They made it down just when the bonfires were lit, a cheer rising along with the flames. It was easy to get caught up in the excitement. The music was loud, and laughter rang even louder. It became darker as the night drew on, but the fires and the colorful lights kept everything illuminated. Simone was having an amazing time, dancing with her friends and watching the more daring ones jumping over the fires, but she kept one eye out for her bondmate. Stepping farther away from the fires and the dancing, she caught her breath; the others now just dark silhouettes against the firelight. Smoke swirled around her feet, circling her. She gave a knowing smirk.

"I was wondering when you would show up." She spoke softly, knowing he could hear her. A figure started to form, his upper half becoming solid as he continued to circle around her. She started to turn, trying to face him as they circled together. She gave a short chuckle, commenting on his attire.

"That's a very good color on you. Did Satya and you collaborate?" She asked, his stark white cloak and gold fixtures wasn't what he usually wore. A hand settled onto the small of her back, pulling her closer, the bells at her ankles chiming as they turned together.

"A happy accident." He said, a hum in his voice. He looked her up and down.

"Remind me to thank her later." His voice low. Simone flushed, though equally thankful for the choice of fashion. It seemed that Sombra was right; Gabriel did like it. The turning stopped, Gabriel completely solid now, hand still on her lower back.

"I think that counted as a dance." She told him, sliding a hand to his shoulder. He gave a low growl, lowering his head to whisper in her ear.

"I'll deny it if you tell anyone." Simone felt heat spread up her neck and behind her ears.

"I knew you were a good dancer." she teased, biting at her lower lip.

"You saw this?" He asked, his other hand stroking up her arm lightly.

"Something like this." She confessed. Her mind kept jumping back to her lifting the mask, but her fingers felt so heavy. Resting them on his upper arm, she slowly trailed her other hand up to his neck. She knew what she wanted, but she was worried about him. Looking into the eyes of his mask she pressed in closer. She licked her lips nervously before asking.

"Do you trust me?" He was silent for what seemed to be the longest second of her life, before giving a jerky nod of his head. He stood perfectly still as she lifted both hands, pushing lightly at the bottom of his mask. It rose, tilting up to slowly reveal his chin, then higher. It was just like her vision, his dark skin showing more and more as she continued to push the mask away. Her heart beat hard against her ribcage as she finally uncovered what she was wanting. His mask was pushed up just enough to expose his lips, framed by nicely groomed facial hair, a small scar at the top corner of his upper lip. She pulled her hands back, wrapping her arms around his neck. Standing as tall as she could, she pulled herself up and brushed her lips against his.

The first one was quick and light, but she kissed him again, more firmly and his hands found her hips, pulling her impossibly closer. She felt as if her heart had exploded into bubbles, popping and rising high in her throat. He was kissing her back! A breathy moan escaped her, and he responded with a pleased growl that make her knees weak. A shrill whistle cut through the rest of the noise, followed by cat calls and clapping. Simone snapped her head back, her face a bright red as Sombra and Jamie made kissy noises in their direction. Gabriel pulled his mask down roughly.

"I'm going to kill them." He snarled, probably just as embarrassed as she was to be caught like a couple of lovesick teenagers. Simone hid her face in her hands as laughter turned into shrieks, the two trouble makers trying to escape the enraged wraith. But she couldn't stop the smile that split her face.

With the fun behind them, Simone focused more fully on the needs of the war council. Preparations were rushed, and everyone was on edge. With no real knowledge of when or where the attack was going to be, everyone was staying on their toes, keeping watch for any threats. It seemed like the forges were working all day and night, and the time she spent portaling between lands had her exhausted. And it apparently was easy to tell, because both Jack and Gabriel insisted that the two sides of the war council should combine, meeting together to keep her from overworking her magic. She didn't protest, having both sides together was more efficient and since they were allies now, there was no real need for them to keep themselves segregated. They met at the old ruins, a large canopy set up for everyone to sit under. Simone kept the portal open as people filed through. Gabriel had chosen Amelie, Torbjorn, Zenyatta, Jamie, Mako; and two she hadn't met, Hanzo and a squat goblin woman named Bastion. Sombra had begged to come along, but Gabriel told her she was too young to be on the council. When everyone was there, she opened one for the council members from Overwatch. Jack came through first, with the other members of the council as well as Fareeha, Mei, Lucio, Jesse, Genji, and Zarya. Though the canopy was quite large, the 19 crowded underneath it made it seem small, and the atmosphere seemed to make the air thick. For most of the people there, it was the first time meeting someone from the other lands. Jack and Gabriel exchanged curt nods, and the meeting was started. They knew who the enemy was, so devising a strategy was first.

"How do you even kill a demon?" Torbjorn asked.

"Fire with not hurt them." Simone said quietly.

"Anything dies if you behead it." Jesse commented.

"Wait, what am I supposed to do if my fires ain't gunna do nothin' to them?" Jamie asked, crossing his arms in a huff.

"Demons can not survive without their heart. Though removing the head will do the trick as well." Ana supplied the answer.

"I am with the fire dryad, how is my fire supposed to help if it will not harm them?" Fareeha asked, taking Jamie's side. Ana gave her shoulder a pat.

"You're holy fire with certainly harm them, dear."

"Perks of being an archangel's daughter." Jesse snarked. Fareeha elbowed him in the stomach. There was arguments over the different strengths of each species, specifically geared towards how it would fare in a battle against a demon. As Simone watched the faces of the people around her, flashes of her vision flitted through her mind. Jack, face bloody. Ana, broken and still. Zenyatta, eyes wide and unseeing. Squeezing her eyes shut she took calming breaths. That was the future they were trying to prevent, she reminded herself. The vision was not going to pass as she saw it, they were going to win, she tried to convince herself. She would make sure of it, going over everything, reliving the visions if she had to, until every scrap of useful information was known. A hand grabbed hers, and her eyes popped open. Gabriel was next to her, still participating in the discussion, but giving her a comforting presence by taking her hand. She gave it a squeeze as thanks, and focused on what was being said.

"Zarya has her clan working with the blacksmith." Jack said.

"30 good, strong workers." Zarya boomed with pride.

"We can make plenty of armor and weapons."

"My forge can out smith yours anyday. No one is better at metal work then a goblin." Torbjorn taunted.

"Big words for a little man." Zarya smirked.

"Ya have me and Hoggie helpin' too, ya know." Jamie pointed out.

"Bastion, are you willing to join Torbjorn?" Gabriel asked. He got a nod in response, but Jamie interrupted.

"Hey now, we is getting everything done without no help. We even got Simone's special stuff done, even with all the extra stuff ya' keep piling on." It was like all sound stopped, Simone's eyes went wide and she looked at Jamie.

"Oops, wasn't supposed to say nothin'." Jamie gave an apologetic grin to Simone before Mako cuffed him on the back of his head.

"What stuff?" Gabriel asked the same time Jack questioned.

"What are you talking about?" Jamie gave a giant shake of his head and hunched his shoulders, choosing not to say anything. Mako stayed silent as well. Attention was turned to Simone, and she cleared her throat nervously.

"You asked them to make you something?" Gabriel was looking down at her expectantly.

"Wait just a minute! Why didn't you come to me? It's my forge." Torbjorn demanded.

"Umm… It's not that important, I wouldn't want to take up council time with this." Simone tried to brush it off. Gabriel brushed a thumb across her knuckles, staring down at her with that expressionless mask of his. Jack's blue eyes across from her, questioning, and between the two men, she found her resolve cracking.

"I.." She sighed, giving in.

"I asked Mako and Jamie to make me a set of armour and weapons in secret. I didn't ask Torbjorn because I knew he would ask you and you wouldn't like it." Gabriel gave an exasperated sigh.

"Why would you need armour? It's not like you're going to be there to fight." Jack questioned.

"Why not? " Simone demanded, straightening up in indignation.

"We are preparing for a war, and every able body is going to fight. Am I not an able body?"

"Are you actually going to let her do this?" Jack turned to Gabriel.

"She obviously thinks not, she commissioned it in secret." He responded, then turned to whisper in Simone's ear.

"We will finish this conversation later." She grimaced, not looking forward to that future conversation.

The rest of the council moved on to other matters, but Jamie leaned towards her as said in a low voice.

"Sorry, forgot it was a secret." Simone gave him a tiny smile to let him know it was okay.

"It's a real beaut though. Come by and see it." He gave a wink and set back up. Mako gave her a thumbs up. Simone suppressed the laugh that wanted to escape and returned the gesture. But the good feelings were easy to slip away when talk of war surrounded her.

Plans for combat and weapons training were set, the need for the two lands to better equate with one another before the actual battle. Jack and Gabriel setting aside a time for them to specifically discuss battle strategy based on special skills and abilities; which there were quite a few of. Ana promised to send some of her special calming tea to help Simone with her meditations, and Zenyatta assured her that he could also help with them as well. But it was time for everyone to head home, and Simone surprised them by opening two portals at once. Watching everyone go through, she closed the one to Overwatch, and stepped through the other after Gabriel, closing it after she reached the other side.

"You are not over taxing yourself, I hope." Zenyatta cocked an eyebrow and gave her a curious look.

She waved a hand in a dismissive way.

"Of course not. I feel perfectly fine. You are getting as bad as Gabriel." She teased. Gabriel scoffed, and Zenyatta took that as his cue to leave.

"Your magic is growing." It wasn't a question.

"Yes, I assumed as much when I was able to open a portal without a destination in mind. I just thought of you and one opened on its own." She flushed slightly when she realised how it sounded. He didn't say anything though, leading her with a hand in the small of her back. She looked around, wondering where they were going. But before she could ask, he supplied the answer.

"I thought you wanted to see your new armor." She stopped instantly, grimacing.

"You would not have let them continue if you had know." She tried explaining.

"You're right." He growled, clearly upset.

"And why not? I am not so weak that I couldn't fight."

"War is not a game." He snapped angrily. Brows furrowed and fists clenched she turned to glare at him.

"I'm not saying it is, and I will not be treated on the same level as a child, Gabriel." He gave an angry sigh, reaching out and pulling her tightly against his chest. Taken by surprise, she gripped tightly to his cloak as her head started to spin and she felt light as air. When everything returned to normal, they were in his room. He had misted, moving them to a more private place for their argument. Hand to her forehead, she swayed, trying to regain her balance.

"Warn me next time!"

"Why did you go behind my back?" He crossed his arms over his broad chest.

"This is the reason." She claimed, waving her hands at his stoic stubbornness.

"You would have put a stop to it, and then I would be stuck here while everyone else fights."

"You will stay where it is safe."

"And why am I so special? Why am I the only one who gets to stay tucked away safely?"

"Because you are!" Gabriel shouted. Silence fell between the two, Simone unable to look at him.

He came up to her, hand on her shoulder, tipping her head back to look into her eyes.

"I need to protect you." He said softly.

"Because I am the doomsayer?"

"Because you are my bond mate." Her eyes began to burn, tears threatening to spill.

"And why can't I feel that way about you?" Leaning forward, she rested her forehead against his chest.

"I am not some damsel who would promise to die for you." She looked back up, determination in her eyes.

"But I will fight for you. To protect you and to protect our people. And I can't do that if you lock me away under the false promise of safety." He cut her off, pushing his mask up just enough to capture her lips in a kiss. Hands fisted in his shirt, she was a little breathless when they broke apart.

"You are incredibly stubborn." He accused, and she watched the way his lips moved as he talked.

"I don't think anyone has ever accused me of that before." She gave a soft chuckle. Leaning up, she kissed him again.

"Does this mean I can keep the armor?" She asked, a little hesitantly. He growled low in his chest, fighting with the decision.

"You are not a warrior. I'll need to teach you how to use your weapon." He finally said, slipping his mask back into place.


	11. Chapter 11

Two weeks passed another war council meeting with nothing new to share. Simone practiced with her dual hurlbat axes during most of the day and spent her evenings and nights meditating, desperate to pull any new information from her visions. But all it was giving her was nightmares. The same flashes played through her head; the same horrors, but she never learned anything new. Zenyatta couldn't help, even though he offered. The tea that Ana sent made her restless, and she felt herself beginning to lose hope. Without new information, how would they be able to stop the demons? Other must have noticed a change in her attitude because Zenyatta was asked to talk to her. When he found her, she was in her room, Amour perched on her shoulder.

"Why is it that you meditate?" He asked her. Simone cocked her head, didn't he already know the answer?

"It helps me clear my head, and I am sometimes able to get new visions, or gleam better information from previous ones." Zenyatta gave a curious hum, fingers steepled.

"But it is not working this time?" Simone shook her head, petting the little bird.

"No matter how much time I spend, I find myself in the same place of uncertainty and questions."

"And dread." Zenyatta added. Holding his palm upward, he produced a glowing ball of yellow light. Holding his hand out to her, the light floated, settling above her head. She looked up at it, unsure of what it was until she felt a soothing warmth settle over her.

"I can heal physical wounds; though not as well as your friend Angela. And I am also able to calm the mind. The dread and the fear that is settled in your mind may be clouding it. The harmony orb will help for now, but you mustn't let negativity shroud you." He left after that, and the orb lasted for a little longer, before fading into nothing. The warmth faded as well and the worry came back.

That night she had another nightmare. The flames and the demons reaching out, laughing at her as she tried and failed to protect those she cared about. She was a failure, her inability to see anything new, to be so uncertain of the future, mocked her. Sobs pulled her from sleep, tears already made trails down her cheeks as she jerked upright. She curled into a tight ball, knees to her chest and roughly ran fingers through her hair. Grabbing handfuls, she tried to suppress her crying. Gentle hands untangled her fingers from her hair, petting and soothing her. Raising her head, she looked directly into red eyes. Blinking rapidly, clearing the tears from her eyes, she saw Gabriel. And he wasn't wearing his mask.

"You…" She started, eyes darting around to take in every detail.

"Shhh. It's just another nightmare." She set back against the pillows, eyes not wanting to leave his face.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you up."

"You didn't." He assured her, sitting by her knees, he rested a comforting hand on them.

"You keep having nightmares, or are they visions?"

"Not visions." She shook her head, leaning it back against the headboard.

"I would only be so lucky to have one." Throat growing tight, she felt tears forming again.

"Being so uncertain, so afraid… and I can't do anything. The one time I need to see the future, and I only get nightmares of past visions; about the demons and the death. I feel completely useless." Tears flowing now, she couldn't stop herself. Gabriel pulled her to his chest, hugging her softly until she couldn't cry anymore.

"You are willing to learn to fight; that isn't useless. And the harder you try to have a vision, the worse your nightmares become." His hand rubbed circles across her back, trying to calm her.

"The visions will come when they need to, so don't push yourself." He advised, not wanting her to have another episode. Finally done crying, and calmed down, she pressed her nose into the crook of his neck.

"You're not wearing your mask." She said, words muffled against his skin.

"I don't sleep in it." He rolled his eyes.

"Are you okay… I mean, is it okay that I saw?"She asked, biting her lower lip. He pushed back at her shoulder, until she could look at him again. Cradling the side of her face in his palm, he let her take another long look.

"I trust you." Those words made her heart soar. But he didn't give her a chance to respond, standing he let her lay back down.

"Sleep." He ordered softly. He had almost made it to the door when she stopped him.

"Stay?" He turned, and she was finally able to actually see his reaction. His brow furrowed, question clearly etched in his face.

"At least until I fall asleep. Please?" He hesitated, before sitting on the edge of her bed, back facing her.

"Thank you." She whispered, getting comfortable. It was actually a lot easier than she thought to fall back asleep, Gabriel's presence making her feel safe, not having to worry about being woken by nightmares. She smiles softly, and as she felt her eyes grow too heavy to keep open she called to him.

"Hey." She whispered. He acknowledged her with a soft hum in the back of his throat.

"I like your face." She could have been dreaming at that point, but she was pretty sure that she heard him chuckle.

Simone wasn't sure what time it was when Amor's chirping woke her up. Turning over, she rubbed the sleep from her eyes, smiling at the little bird. She drew in a breath, surprised to see what was next to her in the bed. It could be called a mass of swirling smoke, but it was like it was frozen in time, the patterns of smoke still and intricate. It was incredibly beautiful. Cocking her head, she bit her lower lip when she figured out what it was. She wasn't sure if Gabriel actually slept, but this had to be the closest he came, his solid form gone and his movements slowed. Her chest gave a squeeze when she realized that he had stayed the whole night with her. She set up smiling and rolled her shoulders. Covering a yawn, she gave a happy sigh. A cool hand stroked her lower back and she looked down, her bondmate in his solid form again.

"Hi." She smiled. His response was a low growl, possible a purr, that rumbled from his chest.

"Watching me sleep?" He asked.

"So that **is** what you were doing." Simone smiled at him. She leaned forward slightly and released her wings, ready for him to help without having to be asked. He set close, running his hand up her back until he reached the soft downy feathers at the base of her wings. Simone practically moaned, the feeling amazing as she stretched out her arms and shoulders. As Gabriel worked his fingers through her feathers, she felt his lips lightly on the back of her neck. Tingles shot down her spine and she practically choked on her own breath.

"Gabriel." She sighed, leaning back into him. More pressure as he started to press kisses along the back of her neck and along her shoulders. A little whine escaped her lips when his sharp teeth scraped against her jaw, just under her ear. One of her hands tangled in his hair, urging him to continue. The heat in her belly was like a forge, and she was practically squirming in his hold.

"Will you do something for me?" He murmured against her skin.

"Anything." Her voice was breathy. As long as he didn't stop this sweet torture.

"No more meditating." The request took a while to make it through the pleasure fogging her brain, but when it did she pulled away from him quickly.

"What? Why?" She asked, her brow low in confusion. He growled slightly, her having pulled away.

"It is not helping. It is only making you worse." She stood up quickly putting more space between them.

"So you get me all flustered so that I will agree?" She accused him. He stood sharply, pulling her tightly against him. She became aware that she wasn't the only one a little hot and bothered, a blush rising and she swallowed.

"No, but it helps." He kissed her shoulder. Her anger fizzled pretty quickly, and she was having a hard time remembering what they were arguing about.

"Promise?" He asked again, burying his nose into her hair. She pouted, but agreed all the same, before giving him a suspicious glare.

"You are going to use this weakness of mine again, aren't you." Gabriel chuckled, but didn't answer, though she took that as a confirmation.

It was hard to keep from meditating, Simone suddenly found herself with much more free time. But she had promised Gabriel, so she tried to worry about other things. But he kept interfering. She would start working on something, but he would shoo her away, claiming that she would become too stressed or that she needed to stop worrying. It was becoming ridiculously frustrating. After only a few days, she didn't know if she wanted to grab him by the shoulders to shake him or to kiss him.

"What am I supposed to do? You keep chasing away anyone who will ask me for help. It feels as if I will die from boredom."

"And it's working. When was the last time you had a nightmare?" He asked while still at his desk, not looking up from his work. Pulling her braid over her shoulder, she played with it.

"But, is it because of that, or because you've been staying the night in my room?" She pointed out. He paused, and looked up at her, before going back to his work.

"Oh, was I not supposed to notice? Were you trying to be sneaky about it?" She teased him. Leaning a hip on the edge of his desk, she chewed her bottom lip.

"You could have just asked. I don't mind if we share a bed…" Simone quickly stopped, blushing an immediate red when she realized how that sounded. Hiding her face in her hands, she couldn't look over at Gabriel.

"Why don't you go have tea with Satya?" He suggested, and even with his mask, she knew he was smiling. She took the excuse, making a quick escape. There was nothing quite like having tea with her friend while they took turns telling about their woes. It did an amazing job in mellowing out the nerves when there is mutual complaint and sympathy. And Satya was more then happy to provide both. Feeling much better, Simone was helping Satya clean up; Satya putting away the food while Simone took care of the dishes. Feeling a sudden daze wash over her, Simone blinked rapidly, trying to clear her head. She felt the teacup she was holding start to slip through her fingers as the vision swallowed her.

 _The grass was tall, its golden tops tickling right above her knees. She started walking, serveing her surroundings; everything was peaceful and quiet. It was a nice change, the complete calm that seemed to settle over the whole area. She looked up at the sky, the sun and the moon both large, each taking up half the sky. Her eyes found a single point in the sky, watching as it drifted down slowly. A snowflake, it fell until it was eye level with her, and then it just stopped. Her eyes seemed stuck, watching the fluffy, white flake as it floated there, completely frozen in time as everything else seemed to speed up. The grass around her shrank, pulled down by the weight of the snow as everything around her was blanketed, all she could see is a shiny white. She blinked; the still snowflake regaining its time to drift to the ground. It was beautiful. The horizon turned red, a roaring wave of sound passed over her. Flames began to rise in the distance, but Simone smiled. Confidence bubbled up in her and she gave a triumphant shout. She knew. They would come, but she knew when. They would be ready._

The sharp sound of ceramic shattering brought her back, the teacup in pieces at her feet. Satya looked over at her, concern pulling her brow low.

"Simone?" She called to her, unsure of what had just happened.

"I broke your cup." Simone was sorry, but she couldn't keep the smile from her face.

"I have to find Gabriel." She explained as she handed the rest of the dishes to Satya and ran. Satya looked at the broken pieces, still confused.

As Simone ran through the village; she couldn't wait to find Gabriel. A portal opened before her and she didn't even slow down, knowing exactly where it would take her. Running through, she plowed straight into her bondmate, throwing her arms around his neck.

"What's wrong?" He asked, concern causing him to remain stiff and alert.

"We know!" She gave him an extra big squeeze before letting go, dancing around excitedly. He grabbed her shoulders, forcing her to remain still.

"What?" She laughed, grabbing the sides of his face to plant a big kiss on his mask.

"Snow." Gabriel was clearly not understanding her rambling.

"What kind of tea did Satya give you?" Simone laughed.

"No…" She took a deep breath.

"I had a vision. The demons won't come until after the first snowfall. We know when they are coming! We have to talk to Mei to be sure when it would happen exactly, but we will be ready."

"Snowfall. That gives us about 2 months." Gabriel predicted.

"Yes, but we will be ready. I felt it." Gabriel nodded, hands framing her face gently.

"I'll call a meeting. We will tell the others." He rested his forehead against hers.

"Good job."


	12. Chapter 12

Simone had been under the assumption that preparations for the incoming demon attack were making everyone busy, but she was wrong. After the council had a timeline to work from, things got twice as bad. There was no free time whatsoever as everyone made sure that they were ready. And the colder the days got, the closer it came to snow, the more possessive Gabriel seemed to become. Her stuff had been completely moved into his room, and he seemed to always be touching her whenever they were together. But it wasn't until Mei had informed them that the snow would fall soon and it was decided to move the soldiers, that Simone started to worry about it. The city seemed almost deserted as more and more people loaded with supplies walked through one of her portals. They were going to set up camp away from the cities, to combine the two armies into one cohesive unit before the demons arrived. When everyone had gone through, Gabriel grabbed her wrist. Simone looked up at him in confusion, whispering his name softly.

"Please don't change your mind." She pleaded, laying her hands on his chest.

"You know why I need to come with you." His arms wrapped around her, resting his chin on the top of her head.

"I know." When he let her go, she took him by the hand and pulled him through the portal after her. The other side was a little chaotic, tents being set up, supplies being stored, many people running around trying to make the temporary camp. Simone had to open another portal, letting through the Overwatch soldiers. It got a whole lot more intense after that. Simone was a little lost among all of the running around and the loud noises. She was able to greet many of her old friends as they went about their business, but there was too much to do for anyone to say more than a simple hello. It was only when it started getting dark when the large camp settled down.

Jamie and Mako had dropped off her armor, and she was able to try it on for the first time. Fareeha, Hana, and Satya were there to help; as well as to give their unbiased opinion.

"For two blacksmiths, they certainly did make a fashionable piece." Hana commented, admiring the clawed finger gauntlets. Satya gave the armor a once over before glancing at Simone with a raised brow.

"It looks similar to someone else's armor. Did you request a matching set, or is it coincidence that you are going to match Reaper?" Simone realized how right Satya was, and laughed.

"No, they must have done that on their own. I love it though." Wearing the silky silver undershirt, and black pants that had been delivered with the armor, the other women helped fix the pieces into place. It was deceptively light, and allowed easy movement. Pulling out her wings, she was happy to see that the back plate left plenty of room for them to flex and spread.

"Impressive." Satya complimented.

"Yeah, but she looks like an angel of death." Hana gave a mock shudder.

"What?" Simone looked down at herself.

"I think she means your wings." Fareeha spoke a little cautiously, as if trying to make sure she didn't upset Simone.

"They have gotten darker."

"You were aware that they were changing. The black armor also makes them seem darker." Satya explained.

"It's not bad, you look amazing! It's just a little intimidating. If I didn't know you were totally nice, that is." Hana waved a dismissive hand.

"Isn't that the point?" Sombra's voice caused them all to give a start. Sombra smirked as she sliped fully into the tent.

"It's war, she wants to look tough and scary." She said with a roll of her eyes. Hana stuck her hand on her hip and glared at the necromancer.

"Then I guess you'll do fine. That shade of purple would scare anyone away." Hana snipped.

"Girls, play nice." Fareeha scolded, stopping the comments before they caused any problems. Sombra brushed a hand over her offended hair and scoffed.

"I was only stopping by to warn you that Gabe is headed this way, so this little party should dissipate. He gets cranky when he's tired." Hana made a face and ran out of the tent, causing Sombra and Satya to laugh. The others followed suit, saying their goodnights and leaving Simone alone. She was about to start removing the pieces of armor when Gabriel came into the tent. He stopped, looking her over. She bit her lower lip and gave a self conscious pose.

"Well?" He came up, circling behind her, running a hand carefully over one spiked gauntlet.

"It is well made." He commented, taking off his mask and brushing her hair from her neck. He placed a small kiss just behind her ear.

"I meant me." Simone huffed. She felt him smile against her skin.

"You're well made too." A single bubble of laughter escaped at his attempt at a joke.

"Gabriel." She groaned.

"You are ridiculous." He didn't reply, as he started to unlatch pieces of armor. Simone helped, and soon all of the armor was placed out of the way. Gabriel extinguished the torch and the tent went dark. Simone couldn't see very well, Gabriel leading her to the small cot, taking off his heavy cloak as she climbed in. When he didn't follow, instead, setting on the very edge she reached out, placing a hand on his back.

"Are you not going to sleep?" He didn't answer, but his body grew tense. Simone sighed.

"We are surrounded by our allies, and yet you are still worried?"

"I'm going to keep watch." Gabriel finally replied. Simone bit her lower lip before turning over, her back facing him.

"Alright. You keep watch. I'll just get a good night's rest, over here, all by myself." It didn't take very long before he laid down next to her, pulling her close. Simone smiled softly, closing her eyes.

 _Purple lights flickered like fireflies. They drifted, growing closer and closer together until they formed one solid growing figure. One that was vaguely familiar to Simone, though she was having trouble remembering. The lights spun around her, forming the purple skull right in front of her._

" _Looking for me?" A body materialized, the glowing skull painted on their face._

" _Sombra!" The necromancer smirked and held up her hands in a flourish. Magic strings fell from her fingertips and tiny skeletons started popping out of the ground at their feet. The strings attached themselves to the skeletons and then the bones started to dance. Simone laughed, giving Sombra a suspicious glance._

" _Remember your promise. You're not allowed to do anything silly with my body." Smiling, she looked back down at the skeletons only to gasp, jumping backward. The skeletons had become demons and instead of dancing they were clawing, struggling to get closer to her as the magical strings held them back. But Sombra wasn't the one controlling them. Long skinny fingers, a wide smile of yellowing teeth, and a mass of evil intent was now in front of her. Simone stood straighter, the fear of the demons gone, replaced by anger. She was now sure of two things, the war; everything that was going to happen was the doing of this one figure. And that she needed to speak to Sombra._

Simone woke up, setting up quickly. She tried rolling out of the cot, but was flipped over, Gabriel on top of her.

"Good morning." She said, a little breathless.

"Where are you going in such a hurry?" Gabriel asked, leaning closer into her.

"I needed to talk to Sombra." He cocked an eyebrow.

"Why Sombra?"

"I don't know. I think I need to ask her about her magic." She shrugged her shoulders. He kissed her forehead softly.

"Can it wait? Your wings haven't even been groomed." She smiled, biting at her lower lip. But she never got a chance to decide how to respond, as they were interrupted. Amelie ducked her head into the tent and called Gabriel. The tone was troubling enough that Gabriel was up and putting on his mask in a flurry of smoke. Grabbing her cloak, Simone followed. Several others were coming out of their tents, everyone seeing the tiny flakes of white float down, the ground already showing signs of the snow sticking. Mei looked into the sky, the clouds dark and heavy.

"Tomorrow. The snow is going to fall through till night, and everything will be covered." Mei warned. Gabriel pulled Simone close, dipping to whisper in her ear.

"The grooming can wait. Go find Sombra." Simone nodded.

The arrival of the snow seemed to change the atmosphere of the camp. Everything was much more somber, as they were literally on the eve of war. Simone had only a little trouble finding the necromancer, pulling her aside so she could talk to her.

"I need to know about your magic." Simone started. Sombra gave her a look that was ridiculously similar to the one Gabriel gave her.

"My magic?"

"Necromancy in general, I guess. I need to know how it works."

"Is this about the contract you made with me? If you're all worried about tomorrow…" Sombra held up her hands, wondering how to continue.

"No." Simone gave a huff.

"I had a vision last night. You were in it; with dancing skeletons and then it wasn't you. I believe that your magic, or at least how it works may be important." Sombra listened to the explanation before laughing.

"Okay, first of all, necromancy shouldn't be used for silly things like dance performances. It's serious stuff. But it's not really that complicated."Sombra gave a dismissive wave.

"I need to form a contract with a person, like I did with you. It's permission, I guess, to use their bodies. Then I use my magic to summon their bones, creating undead soldiers or really whatever I need them for."

"But how do you control them?" Simone asked.

"They just do what I want. Like my will or something. They aren't puppets where I have to control every little thing they do." Simone frowned, things connecting in her mind.

"Puppets?"

"No, I said they weren't like puppets." Sombra sighed.

"No… but…" Simone decided to start over.

"You were in my vision. You called the bones and then controlled them. It took the appearance of puppets, because that's how I would imagine your magic to work. But then it changed. The skeletons turned into demons and it wasn't you that pulled the strings anymore. I felt that if I talked to you about your magic I would figure something out."

"Like what?" Sombra asked.

"I think the demons are being controlled. If you can summon the dead, maybe someone is behind these demons."

"What are you going to do now that you know?" Sombra asked. Simone brow furrowed, as she once again got lost in thought.

"I think I might have a plan. But I need to to keep this to yourself until I know for sure."

"Of course. I can keep a secret." Sombra smirked. Simone thanked her, letting her go back to what she was doing. Now she only had to finish her plan before tomorrow morning and hope it would actually work.

Simone was sitting beside one of the cam fires, wrapped in one of Gabriel's spare cloaks when Jack sat down next to her.

"Why are you doing this?" He asked her. She looked over at him, confused by his question.

"Because it's cold." She answered hesitantly, as if unsure how she should answer.

"Not…" Jack sighed.

"I meant why are you here? You should have stayed behind." Simone groaned, resisting the urge to roll her eyes.

"That's not fair. Both you and Gabriel have to accept the fact that I'm going to fight alongside you."

"You're my sister, I'm allowed to worry about you. And if you were still a part of Overwatch, I wouldn't have let you come along." Simone glared at him, and let out a huff.

"I would have liked to see you try."

"Simone…" Jack started, but she cut him off.

"Ana's not threatening to lock Fareeha away. It's okay to worry about me; but you have to trust me to take care of myself. I'm not completely useless."

"It's…" Jack shook his head, unsure what to say. Simone laid her head on his shoulder.

"Shouldn't I be the one worried anyway? You are my baby brother." She smiled. Jack barked out a laugh.

"I hate it when you call me that."

"I know. And I take great pleasure in doing so." Simone spotted Gabriel from across the fire, entering their tent. She gave Jack a kiss on the top of his head and followed Gabriel. As she entered the tent, she saw him sitting on the makeshift cot, his mask in his hands. She cocked her head, troubled by his expression. Standing in front of him, she let him wrap his arms around her hips, face pressed into her stomach. Running a comforting hand through his hair, she pushed the cloak off of her shoulders, bringing her wings forward to surround him. They stayed that way, completely silent for a long while.

"I had a vision of you." She spoke softly, scratching his scalp lightly as she talked.

"A few weeks before I even met you. It's what caused Jack to contact you."

"What did you see?" He asked, his voice muffled against her middle.

"Your eyes." She smiled softly to herself as she remembered.

"I saw your eyes and I knew I wanted to see the rest of you." He looked up at her, brow cocked almost in disbelief. She placed a soft kiss on his nose. He pulled her slowly towards him until she was straddling his lap, his hand sliding up her back into the soft down of her wings.

"And that's why you agreed to do the bonding?"

"No. It wasn't just what I saw, it's what I felt." Simone continued, steadying herself with hands on his shoulders.

"I felt safe, happy...I felt the same as I do now."

"And how is that?" Gabriel asked, the question coming out in a purr as he looked up at her.

"I love you Gabriel." That answer clearly wasn't the one he was expecting. He stiffened, his brows pulled low.

"Don't say that." He whispered, letting his head fall.

"Don't tell me that right before we are to go to war." Threading her arms around his neck, she hugged him close.

"I love you. I'll tell you now, and tomorrow, and the day after. I'll tell you after we win this war, and every day for the rest of eternity. I may even tell you several times a day, so you have to get used to it." He growled, his grip on her tightening.

"People are going to think I've gone soft." Simone chuckled, resting her cheek on the top of his head.

"Why? Because you have a wonderful and supporting bondmate who is madly in love with you, and constantly tells you so?"

"No, because I would say it back." He said quietly. Simone's chest hurt, she was so happy her heart was threatening to explode.

"Tomorrow…" He started, but she cut him off. Squeezing him tightly one last time, she stood.

"I'm getting ready for bed, and getting a good night's rest. Tomorrow is going to be busy, so I suggest you do the same. Then, afterwards we can finish this conversation." Gabriel gave her a frustrated look, but she ignored it as she took off her shoes and got ready to sleep.

"You can't…" He tried again, but was once again interrupted.

"Goodnight Gabriel." She kissed him before slipping between the covers behind him. He gave another frustrated growl but soon laid down next to her. He didn't try arguing again.


	13. Chapter 13

It snowed through the night, and by morning everything was blanketed in an untouched white. Simone looked over it, knowing that it would all be gone soon, trampled and melted by the upcoming battle. Adjusting the belt at her waist she ignored what was going on behind her. As everyone got ready, checking their weapons and receiving orders, she blocked it all out, intent on her own plans. She had finally decided on what she would do, but she would keep it to herself until it was time. Jack and Gabriel were still too wary of her going into battle with them, if they knew her plan they would tie her up and leave her at camp. She could only hope that when it was time she could pull it off. Someone laid a hand on her shoulder, and she jumped; startled.

"Are you alright?" Ana asked, a whisper of a smile on her face.

"Just nervous. You would think that someone who could see the future would be used to waiting, but this suspense has me on edge." Simone tucked a stray hair behind her ear.

"To be fair, it is not usually a war that you have to be patient for. It is a first for you." Ana reasoned. Simone smiled.

"Do you have a response for everything?"

"It comes with being a mother." Ana laughed. She gestured to the activity behind them.

"They are almost done. Have you been informed of where you will be?"

"Yes." Simone answered before gathering her courage. Together the two women walked over to the other designated healers; including Zenyatta, Angela, and Lucio, the centaur. It was odd to see Angela with a weapon, but she held the long spear confidently.

"Are you ready?" Zenyatta asked Simone.

"Do I have the option not to be?" Simone replied with a strained smile.

"Do not worry Simone, you will be with me. I will keep you safe." Angela promised.

"I am calling favoritism; both Jack and Gabriel requested I be stationed right next to a healer. Do they have no faith in me?" Simone rolled her eyes.

"I think it's sweet." Angela cooed.

"And speaking of Gabriel…" The other Nephilim's voice got softer, not wanting others to overhear.

"I almost fainted when I saw him earlier. Seeing him with a soul again." She gave Simone a knowing look. Simone's face heated, and though she tried, she couldn't hide the blush. She was aware of what Angela was implying; aware that a piece of her soul went to Gabriel when she admitted her love for him.

"It's sweet. You both deserve happiness." Angela smiled softly.

"If only it didn't have to come right before this."

Only a little before mid-day, Fareeha landed, the demons were within her sight and it was time to move. Simone's heart rate tripled, and she swallowed heavily around the lump in her throat. She shouldn't be afraid, she knew that everything would be okay; that they were ready for this and they were going to win. But fear still clawed through her chest. As Angela called her over, she turned to Gabriel, looking him deep in the eyes.

"When you feel my magic, come to me. Just step through. Do you trust me?" She asked.

"Yes." He grabbed her shoulders, intent on what he needed to

"You're not allowed to get hurt. Do you understand me? I can't have you beside me… but we have a conversation to finish, so you have to come back safely." Gabriel warned her. Her fear seemed to flow out of her, replaced by the warm feeling she felt for him.

"I promise. I would hate to die a virgin" She kissed his mask as Angela pulled her away. Taking flight she looked down at him.

"Don't die!" She hollered over what could have been Jack questioning Gabriel on the comment she had made.

"I'm not going to even say anything." Angela said, trying to keep a straight face. Simone flushed, appreciating the other woman's decision not to make any comments. Reaching their point, they landed, Simone casting one last glance toward where she knew Gabriel was, even though he was out of sight. The horizon turned red, the demons flames dancing across the landscape. Simone looked at Angela.

"I know you promised them that you would stay with me. Don't. I don't need you to follow me around when there are others who need you just as badly." Simone said in a serious tone as she tucked away her wings. Angela gave her a worried look but nodded her head in agreement.

"One more thing." Simone quickly spoke up.

"There is going to be a time when I call to you. I'm going to need you to trust me and do what I say, even if it doesn't make sense. Can you do that?" She asked. Angela took a while to reply, but looking over at the approaching army of demons, she agreed.

It was like the silence before a storm, everyone all hushed. Anxiety and fear leaving a stench in the air as many waited for what could be their own end. The silence was shattered as Fareeha let out a torrent of holy fire straight into the path of the incoming evil. The signal to attack. Great battle cries followed as everyone surged at once, ready to attack. Simone sent up one last tiny prayer that Gabriel would be okay on the front lines as she too prepared to fight.

Even though the morning had been cold, the battleground was hot. Fire had melted away the snow and scotched the ground. Bodies grew sticky with sweat and blood, armor and weapons growing heavy as the fighting continued. Simone tried to focus on the fighting, but her wind was torn as she kept a lookout. She would sometimes see her friends as the battle went on; Angela flashing past to the aid of a hurt allie, Mako's hook flying through bodies to snatch at the closest demon, or Mei immobilizing one in ice before striking it down. Simone, herself, had done a little damage as well. Aiming for the necks, she would swing her small axes, the sound of rotting flesh giving way something she would never be able to scrub from her mind. As more of the day went by, she found herself growing a little desperate. She knew that there was a summoner, somewhere within the mass of claws and snapping fangs, if she could only find them. She needed to think, but finding herself unable as she had to deflect a swipe aimed for her face. Thick blood splattered across her face as she landed a blow to the top of the attackers head. Where would the summoner be? A strike against the land made by summoned demons; intent to take over with no real loss to the summoner themselves. It was a coward's move; so where would a coward hide? Simone would need a better view; she needed to see more. Calling out her wings, she pushed off the ground hard. Gaining altitude quickly, she spotted Fareeha, and made a beeline to her.

"Can you see the back of the demon army?" Simone hollered, gaining Fareeha's attention. The other woman squinted, measuring the distance.

"Yes, why?"

"Is there anyone back there? Someone that isn't a demon?" Simone hoped that her hunch was right.

"Yes! How did you know?" Fareeha was surprised. Simone tucked her weapons back into her belt.

"I need you to come with me." Simone flew back towards the chaos below, calling for Angela. The blonde spotted her, and took off as well. The three nephilim flew high above the battle as Simone tried to explain.

"I need you guys to play along. I'm hoping this will work, but if it doesn't I need you, Angela to cover both Fareeha and Gabriel."

"Gabriel is coming too?" Fareeha asked?

"Hopefully not, but he is a backup plan. There is a summoner, and if he won't stop this madness, then I will portal Gabriel to us. Fareeha, you will need to be aerial cover, while he attacks the summoner directly. Angela, these demons don't have souls, so he can't heal himself while fighting."

"Acknowledged." Fareeha sent her a small salute.

"Down there." Angela pointed, and just on the edge of the demons was a single person, back far enough to not get hurt. Flying over them, they circled, choosing to land behind the summoner and the demon army.

"Make it dramatic." Simone directed as they went for a landing. Dramatic for nephilim involve a variety of things. While Fareeha landed heavily, showing power in her stance; Angela floated down in a picture of grace. But there was also a lot of wing; all three of them bearing them wide in a show of dominance and aggression. The summoner who turned out to be a skinny, weasley old man was taken by surprise.

"Stop this at once." Simone demanded, her voice confident and clear.

"This land is under the protection of the angels. You will take your hell spawn and leave. Now!" The summoner gave a nervous laugh, staring at the three women.

"Who would have thought… My demons should be enough to handle three little angels like yourselves." He cackled, and at least 2 dozen of the demons behind him turned, ready to attack.

"I warn you mortal, we do not fear your summoned monsters. If you do not leave now, your life will be forfeit." Simone tried once more. Next to her, Fareeha tensed, ready to jump into action. The summoner just smirked and the demons behind him started stalking forward. Fareeha and Angela both took flight, but Simone glared at the man.

"You may summon demons, but I can summon death itself." Magic released from her, opening a portal behind her as she spoke. Black smoke drifted through, seeming to come from absolutely nowhere as is curled around her feet and Gabriel reformed behind her. He reached around her, clawed fingers around her throat in a light grasp, the tips of his claws tickling her skin. He tilted her head back so she looked up at him. She gave him a slow, sweet smile. He had come!

"Eat his soul." She said softly, though just loud enough for the summoner to hear her. Gabriel floated past her, putting himself in between the summoner and her before drawing his two broad swords.

"No! This land will be mine!" The summoner snarled. Everything started extremely fast. The demons burst forward, their summoner's anger driving them into a frenzy, Fareeha aimed her fire down towards them, and Gabriel rushed in blades held high. Simone followed, trying to help Fareeha thin down the demons so that Gabriel could reach the real threat. It was a mass of snarling and clawing, demons falling to holy fire and Simone trying to break away from the crushing mob. A thin fingered hand grabbed her arm in a punishing grip and pulled her harshly. The man was in her face, his eyes wide and his yellow teeth bared.

"I am not afraid of you. I…" Simone tried to break free of his hold and glared at him.

"I'm not the one you should be afraid of." Simone hissed. Gabriel grabbed the summoner from behind.

"Let go of her." He growled. Simone pulled away, launching herself into the air. She didn't watch what Gabriel did next; already aware that the man was going to die a very gruesome death. Instead, she watched over the mass of demons, waiting. She could tell the exact moment the summoner died; the battlefield growing thick with smoke as the demons disappeared, her friends and allies left confused. The confusion didn't last long. Great cheers erupted as it became apparent that the battle was over and that they had won. A large group was running over to where Gabriel, and now Fareeha and Angela were standing. Simone gave a great inhale of relief, just as happy that everything was over. Smiling, she landed lightly among them.

"It worked!" Fareeha cheered, fists raised high in the air.

"Are you three insane? You can't just break formation like that. You could have been seriously hurt!" Jack barked, sounding equally worried and proud of them. Simone had a witty comment ready, but Gabriel grabbing her halted it. Hands on either side of her face, he looked down at her.

"Are you injured? Did he hurt you?" His voice was stern, though Simone could tell it was because he was worried about her as well.

"I'm fine Gabriel, I kept my promise." She gave him a reassuring smile.

"Good." He took off his mask, pulling her into a lip crushing kiss in front of everyone. Eyes wide for barely a second, she threw her arms around his neck and returned the kiss eagerly.

"No wonder she put up with his cranky bullshit. Gabe's a looker." Sombra chuckled. Gabriel pulled away from Simone.

"Sombra. He growled, causing many to laugh.

"You haven't changed a bit, Gabriel." Angela smiled.

"Can you not do that? She is still my sister, and I still need an explanation." Jack groaned, obviously not enjoying the situation. Gabriel just looked over his shoulder at Jack and gave him a smug smile and a shrug before giving Simone another kiss.

"Is it really over?" Lena asked, trotting over, a little out of breath.

"Yeah. I'm going home. I really need a bath." Sombra grimaced as she looked down at herself.

"Really, that's all you can say?" Simone asked.

"None of us were really that surprised. You did see our victory after all." Satya explained.

"I really don't want to have to walk all the way back. Can you do that portal thing?" Sombra asked.

"Oh Yes." Zenyatta agreed. Jack sighed, aware that no one really cared about the seriousness of Simone's untold plan, or the fact they just fought demons and survived.

"We should celebrate." Mei clapped her hands excitedly.

"There is a feast being prepared for everyone back at Talon. I'm sure by the time everyone has cleaned up, we can meet there." Satya added.

"I will need to make sure there are no more wounded, but with the use of Simone's portal ability I'm sure that everyone can get to where they need to be." Angela dismissed herself, Zenyatta and Ana deciding to follow. Simone frowned, giving everyone else a stern look.

"How come everyone else gets to take a break and I'm still having to do work. Portling everyone back and forth." Gabriel hugged her close and nuzzled behind her ear.

"You're strong enough, you'll be fine. Let them have their fun." He squeezed her tight.

"Besides, we still need to finish that conversation." She bit her lower lip and smiled.

"I did say that we would. But you are just going to have to get used to me expressing how I feel about you."

"Not that one." Gabriel smiled, hovering close.

"I was talking about what you mentioned right before you left. I can't possibly let you go on much longer in such a condition." Simone's brow furrowed, not understanding what he was talking about.

"What condition?" She asked. Gabriel chuckled low in her ear, the noise practically a purr that sent shivers up her spine.

"Your virginity." He rumbled, whispering into her ear. SHe flushed, feeling decidedly warmer that a second ago.

"Oh." Her voice was high and breathy. She certainly didn't need to know the future to know that her and Gabriel were going to have a very normal and happy life together. She snuggled closer into his arms and tried to hide her blushing face.

"Hey now! What are you two doing over there." Jack fussed at them.

"Gabriel, she's my sister, stop that. Gabriel! Are you even listening?"


End file.
